What Must Be Done
by sheep1215
Summary: What if Rapunzel had revealed Flynn to Gothel after she returned?  No longer a One-shot!   Rated T because I'm paranoid
1. Revealed

**I just came up with this idea and thought it would be a good what-if story. Just thought it'd be interesting. I'm perfectly happy with the way Tangled went. I hope you like it, anyway. NO FLAMES, PLEASE! This is a no smoking zone. If you don't like the story, you can say so, but SCREAMING YOUR HEAD OFF LIKE SOME RABID ANIMAL gives no help whatsoever. Thanks!**

**But, despite all these prior warnings, I hope you like it. (You might, actually, it just depends on your style of story)**

**Ok, I know it already said this story was complete (This was actually supposed to be a Oneshot but then escalated into a new full-blown story!) But after I bought Tangled on Blu-Ray and DVD I realized my dialogue on this scene was SO OFF! So I fixed it. But just in the beginning of this first chapter. Everything else is the same, though, so don't worry, loyal "What Must Be Done" fans! **

**I don't own the most EPIC MOVIE ON THE WHOLE ENTIRE PLANET AND UNIVERSE AND SURROUNDING AREAS! (If you haven't caught on by now, I'm talking about Tangled)**

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It was amazing.

Just absolutely amazing.

I had _a person_ in my closet!

Just minutes beforehand, I, the believed to be frail, defenseless little Rapunzel, had brought down an intruder to my tower with nothing more than a _frying pan_! I couldn't wait to show Mother—earlier, she had banned me from leaving the tower and going to see the floating lights for my birthday…cast them aside as stars and told me every possible thing that could go wrong outside of the tower. But I _did_ it! I had brought down this random, trespassing man and now I could prove to Mother that I was tough enough to handle going outside.

Although, right then, my main focus was on what the mysterious man had left on the ground—a satchel, containing some weird…something. I had no clue what it was, but I was sure it was supposed to do _something_! So Pascal and I were trying different things to see what on earth the use of this thing was. I had just put it on my head, and was now gazing curiously at myself in the mirror. Something just felt so strange…

"Rapunzel!" the familiar, melodious voice called from below. "Let down your hair!"

I let out a gasp, and then, odd thing forgotten, I tossed the man's satchel and the strange hat-thing into a pot.

"One moment, Mother!" Grinning from ear-to ear, I began stringing my seventy feet of blonde hair through the pulley. Seconds later, I felt the weight of Mother on my hair and started pulling it back up. This was a regular routine, but now, I was _bursting_ with excitement. I could tell her, and then she'd let me go!

"I have a big surprise!" I heard her call from below as I strained to pull up the rope of hair.

I beamed. "Uh…I do too!"

"Ooh, I bet my surprise is bigger!"

I chuckled. "I seriously doubt it," I muttered under my breath in the same sing-songy tone.

As Mother finally reached the window, she grinned at me, presenting her "surprise": a basket filled with herbs. "I brought back parsnips. I'm going to make hazelnut soup for dinner! Your favorite!" She flung out her arms in a big, flashy entrance. "Surprise!"

I chuckled as she went over to the table and started preparing the meal. Hazelnut soup _was_ my favorite, but there were much bigger things on my mind.

"Well, Mother," I said, now a little bit nervous. How would she react? "There's something I want to tell you—"

"Rapunzel, you know I hate leaving you after a fight," Mother interrupted, referring to our little spat about the floating lights earlier that morning, "especially when I've done absolutely nothing wrong."

I still smiled, wanting to get to the point. "Well, I've been thinking a _lot_ about what you said earlier—"

"I hope you're not still talking about the stars," Mother cut me off again, not even turning to face me.

"Floating lights," I corrected her, moving closer to the closet that would win me my freedom, "and, yes, I'm leading up to that—"

"Because I really thought we dropped the issue, sweetheart…"

"No, Mother, I'm just saying," I prayed I would be able to finish this sentence. "You _think_ I'm not strong enough to handle myself out there—"

"Oh, I _know_ you're not strong enough to handle yourself out there," she said, a little annoyed.

"But if you just—"

"Rapunzel," Mother turned around, agitated. "We're _done_ talking about this."

"Trust me!" I spoke a little faster, my excitement getting the best of me. My hand flew up to the handle. "I—"

"Rapunzel," my Mother tried to cut me off, but I was way too wound up to stop.

"I know what I'm—"

"_Rapunzel—"_

"Oh, come on—"

"Rapunzel!"

I couldn't take being cut off anymore. I had to _show_ her. Before Mother could say anything else, I flung back the chair blocking the closet and hurled open the door, revealing the handsome man inside, who, still unconscious, fell on his face after I opened the door.

"Look, Mother, I _did_ it!" I cheered, staring down at the unmoving young man. However, when Mother said nothing, I looked back at her and was surprised to see her face pale, her hand at her chest as if she was gripping the last ounce of breath she had in her. I wasn't expecting this. "M…Mother?"

"Rapunzel," she said gravely, backing away, her wide eyes still stuck on the man. "How did he get here?"

"I didn't let him in," I shrugged. "I think he climbed up the side, but I saw him and hit him with a frying pan, and—"

"Rapunzel," my Mother said again, her hand shaking as she fumbled through a drawer, her gaze still fixed on the man on the floor. "Go to your nook, now."

My face curled up in confusion. My nook was a little separate area upstairs where my bed was. Why did she want me to leave? I had just told her about this so we could talk about the floating lights!

"But, Mother," I asked, not wanting to leave, "what's wrong? I just thought—"

"Rapunzel," she commanded in a sterner tone, finding what she was seeking in the drawer and grasping it in her hand as she approached the open closet. "Go to your nook, _now_."

My stomach churned. This is _not_ what I had in mind! Just as I turned to leave, I spotted the glint on the object in her hand.

The glint of a blade.

"Oh, Mother!" I gasped, flinging myself towards her. "What—what are you—you can't _kill_ him!"

"Rapunzel, he found us," she said grimly, still approaching the unconscious man. "For all we know, he could be a ruffian, or a thug, or even a thief—"

"Or an innocent man!" I cried. "I didn't mean to—" I searched for words, my heart racing as I tried to save this young man's life. "What if we just let him outside? He's unconscious, he won't remember anything!" I dove forward to grab Mother's arm, but she flung me to the ground with such ferocity that I had never seen from her before.

"You know why he's here!" she yelled at me, her face red with anger. "We can't risk him finding us again! I can't risk him taking you!"

The only sound that came from my lips was my shocked, heavy breathing, and as much as I wanted to object, I knew I couldn't.

"M…Mother—" I tried to say something, but my terrified voice came out as no more than a whisper. Tears flooding my eyes, I scampered to my feet and ran, up the stairs, into my nook. I couldn't watch…I couldn't watch him die…

I threw myself on my bed, burying my face in my pillow. I didn't want to hear, didn't want to see…I did this.

I should have kept quiet…should have stopped when Mother yelled at me…this would have changed everything…innocent blood wouldn't have been spilled…

It didn't matter if he was a ruffian, or thug, or a thief…he was a person, and I couldn't bear to watch anything like that happen to him.

And in that instant, everything changed.

I had experienced death when it came to plants, but this was a whole different level.

This was a person.

And so, while Mother did what must be done, I buried my face in the pillow and cried.

I cried for the stupid thing I did.

Cried for that innocent young man.

Cried…

…for him.

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******Ok, I DON'T THINK THIS SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED WHATSOEVER! I LOVE FLYNN AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HORRIBLE IF HE DIED! I just always wondered what would have happened if Rapunzel revealed Flynn to Gothel. Please, don't hate me! I'm a good, innocent person who loves blueberry muffins!**

**Yeah...originally it was just going to end right here, but...well, maybe you might just want to read on! ;-) Remember, Rapunzel isn't really the kind of person to just stand aside and watch...**

**I hope you liked it. Reviews are appreciated! Pascal will give you a hug!**

**(By the way, thank you everyone who already reviewed!) Pascal: *hugs***


	2. Stepping Up

**Ok, originally, this story was going to be a one-shot, but then I got a few reviews that suggested that I continue. I actually thought this was a good idea, and I went along with it. Hope you don't mind!**

**But anyway, this might flip-flop back and forth between P.O.V.'s, but don't worry-I'll be sure to include a little disclaimer at the beginning specifying who's talking...this isn't going to be like, "Oh, it's Flynn! No, it's Rapunzel! Or maybe Pascal...NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT IT MIGHT BE THAT CUPID THUG FROM THE SNUGGLY DUCKLING!" No.**

**Oh, and one more thing before I start, THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT REVIEWS! I'd like to thank AIOfanNCRM, first of all, for giving such well rounded reviews, and also for being the first to comment on both What Must Be Done and Truth and Lies! Another thank you to Emma's Angel, who always gives me a cute little review when I need it and actually voted on my poll! YAY! Finally, I'd like to thank WickedSong, who actually _favorited_ me as an author and put What Must Be Done on her alert list, because...apperantly she can read my mind or something, and knew I was coming up with more. Thanks, WickedSong, and thanks for all the fantastic reviews!**

**I'd also like to thank everyone else who reviewed, even if I didn't mention you by name. I read them all and appreciate every one. YOU GUYS ALL MAKE ME FEEL HAPPY INSIDE! *Sobs***

**Ok, enough random chaos. ****So, anyway, here it goes.**

**Tangled is something I do not own...along with a rocket-powered pogo stick. Go figure.**

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**(Rapunzel's P.O.V.)**

No.

I wasn't going to let this happen.

It was my mistake that led Mother to find him, and now I was going to get that man out of this.

Without a second to waste, I hopped up from the bed and ran down the stairs, stumbling over my dress but still urging myself on.

_Please,_ I prayed, _please, don't let it be too late!_

As I ended my decent down the staircase, I saw Mother standing over the man, gripping the dagger in her hand and preparing to end him forever, but I let out a scream that caused her to whirl around in shock, and immediately my heart froze as I realized just what I had gotten myself into.

"Rapunzel!" Mother shrieked, with such fire in her eyes that I had never seen. "I thought I said—"

"No, Mother!" I retorted, surprising myself with the newfound strength in my voice. "I _won't_ let you kill him!"

"This is _not_ up to _you_!" she yelled, pointing to the unconscious man with the dagger. "I'm just doing what's best for _all of us_!"

"Killing an innocent person is never _best for everyone_, Mother," I objected, clenching my fists. "Just let him go!"

"Rapunzel, you know why we can't—"

Suddenly, I heard it.

A moan.

The man was awake.

Both Mother and I watched, frozen in stunned silence, as the young man shifted slightly with another groan, and then waveringly rose up on all fours, a hand flying to his head where I had whacked him with a cast-iron frying pan.

"Ow…" he groaned. "What…what the—" suddenly, noticing his surroundings, the man jerked up with a gasp, looking around, completely confused.

With Mother distracted, I noticed the perfect opportunity to stop her before she caused any more harm. Quick as a flash, I dove forward, grabbing the dagger from her hand and throwing it aside, causing all eyes (including the bewildered stranger's) to be on me.

"Go, now!" I screamed, before Mother shoved me back onto the ground and raced to grab the dagger once again. Mother would _not_ let him go, now that he knew our location. But I couldn't let her kill him.

He had to escape.

"My thoughts exactly!" the man agreed, quickly skittering to his feet and racing towards the window.

"Here!" I yelled, running over to the window and pushing him aside. As quick as I could, I threw my extremely long blonde locks through the pulley and drew back so the man could propel himself down. I would do everything I could to make sure he wasn't hurt for my stupidity. But still, the young man did nothing but stare at me, baffled.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" his eyes widened at the sight of my seventy feet of hair. I expected him to be surprised, but this was life and death we were talking about!

"Rapunzel!" I heard Mother's shriek behind me, and I knew she was getting closer, ready to get rid of the intruder who now knew my—our—secret. There was no time to waste!

"Go, now!" I ordered the man again, and this time, he seemed to get the message. Flinging himself through the small square space with such agility like I had never seen, he grasped onto my hair, sliding down so fast I could barely tell that he had already hit the ground. In an instant, he was gone, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

He was safe.

Everything was ok, now.

Suddenly, I screamed as I felt a harsh tug on the back of my collar, and I looked up, horrified to see Mother, her face seething with rage, and her whole figure heaving with angered, raspy breaths. Her hair was strung out in such a chaotic manner, and her eyes were so fiery, she looked like something from a nightmare. The dagger in her hand, poised to strike, just added to her frightful appearance, and I couldn't help but squeak in terror, almost forgetting that this was my _mother_. She was like a whole other person.

"Rapunzel!" she screamed at me, grabbing at my wrist with one free hand. I shut my eyes tight, knowing this was not going to end well. "Do you realize what you have done?"

"I—" I murmured.

"Because of you, we are _both_ in terrible danger!" her infuriated yells rattled my eardrums. "For all we know, he could be telling every money-grubbing, power-hungry thief he knows! They'll be back soon, I'm sure, because they know…_THEY KNOW WHERE WE ARE!_"

Tears filled my eyes, because I couldn't help but feel that Mother was right. But that man…he didn't deserve to die…I don't think he even meant to find me…

The knife in Mother's hand made me anxious, and I tried to break away from her hold on me, but she had an iron grip.

"No, _NO,_ Rapunzel, this is the _last_ time you are ever defying me!"

"Let…me…go!" I grunted, struggling ineffectually against my Mother's grip.

"NO!" Mother screamed, flinging me backwards with all her strength. Me, not expecting the sudden push, lost my balance and felt myself tumbling backwards, where I collided against my dresser. My head hit the drawer with a SLAM, and within seconds, I could feel the knot of pain on the back of my head, and tears brimming my eyes once again. I rubbed the back of my head, and was shocked to find sticky red blood on my fingers. I gasped in anguish. My mother…I can't believe she did this…

"I will _never_ let you go!" she screeched down at me, causing me to curl back, as far away from her as I could. "I will never let you leave, because I _cannot_ lose you!"

The words echoed inside my aching head.

_"…Never let you leave…"_

_"…Never let you leave…"_

_"…Never…"_

I couldn't hide my pure wretchedness at this whole situation, and a flood of tears burst from my eyes, streaming down my cheeks. My mother, seeing that I was now crying, suddenly had a change of emotion, and the look of rage on her face transformed into one of sympathy.

"Oh, flower…" she tried to soothe me, kneeling on the ground to wrap her arms around my body, which was shaking with sobs. "I never meant to hurt you…I just want what's best…you know why we have to do what we do…"

I knew, but I hated it, and thinking about everything I lost in a matter of minutes just made me cry even harder.

Why was life so unfair?

Mother lowered her voice to speak gently in my ear. "I'm terribly sorry, my dear, but we have to go…"

I let out a sniff, and gazed into my mother's eyes, a ray of hope flickering inside me.

"Go?" I asked. "As in, you mean, _leave_?"

Mother nodded.

At first, bliss filled my being upon hearing that we were leaving, because, then, I would finally get to see somewhere new, and encounter the mysterious outside world. But then, as I came to a realization, I began to cry even more. Leaving meant leaving behind everything I'd come to know…everything I loved…All this in the tower…it'd be gone.

"Come now, dear," Mother said softly, helping me to my feet. "Let's nurse that wound of yours, and then we can start on our way."

I barely heard her, wiping away the last of my tears. Already, I was mapping out in my head what I would take, and what I would do. Pascal, my chameleon, of course, seeing as he was pretty much my _only_ friend ever, and my paints…as much as I could carry…Looking at the murals on my tower wall and thinking of how much time I had invested in that artwork…and I'd be leaving it all behind.

As Mother ascended the stairs towards my nook to try to fix that nasty bump on my head, I suddenly felt something thump against my foot that stopped me dead in my tracks.

It was my clay pot; the one I had made while doing pottery the other day. But that wasn't what made me gasp inside. No, I gasped because, then, I remembered what was _inside_ that pot.

He forgot it…his satchel.

In that pot, I had hidden the mysterious stranger's satchel.

Before Mother could spot me, I nudged the pot under the staircase with my foot. I didn't want to risk her accidently finding it and starting another huge outrage once again. I would just hide it there…for now.

Of course, I'd make sure I knew where it was at all times.

Of course, I was taking it with me.

Of course, I wouldn't dare leave that satchel behind.

Because, inside that satchel, I knew there was something special. Something of worth. There was a _reason_ that man had it. And chances were, he was going to come right back for it again.

Something in my heart was telling me I would be seeing him again.

Very soon.

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**I hope you liked Chapter 2. More on the way! Reviews make Pascal happy, and he will give you a cookie/hug/whatever you want. No reviews=TONGUE IN EAR! No, just kidding. But still, reviews are appreciated! Thanks!**


	3. The Satchel

**Eek! Sorry I took so long to update (Well, longer than usual)! That was actually for two reasons:**

**Number one, I had a lot of stuff going on over the weekend,**

**and Number Two...**

**THIS CHAPTER IS FROM FLYNN'S POINT OF VIEW AND HIS AMAZINGNESS IS SOOOOO HARD TO WRITE! Honestly...reading this I think he sounds so out of character in this chapter! Maybe that's just me-could you let me know? But if he is, :-( I feel like I'm like, _dishonoring_ him for making him sound like a goon! lol**

**But anyway, hope you like it...maybe I'm just overreacting...**

**I'M SO SORRY, FLYNN! *Sob***

**By the way, I got the Tangled Soundtrack yesterday, (by Alan Menken, the epic composer of awesomeness!) and I just have to say IT'S AMAZING! My favorite instrumental tracks are Campfire, Realization and Escape, and The Tear Heals...and all the others. Oh, I just LOVE that CD!**

**But on a more serious note...**

**I.**

**Do.**

**Not.**

**Own.**

**TANGLED!**

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What the heck just happened?

The only thing I remembered was running from those guards and that psycho-tracker horse, and then finding a hideaway in that tower. You know, for the time being.

But then, WHACK!

Hello, concussion!

After blacking out for who knows how long, I woke up to find some crazy old lady standing over me with a knife, and before I knew it, some girl was rescuing me with…it still stuns me to say it: Hair.

That's right, hair.

What a day.

So, after fleeing the scene (something I had a lot of experience in) I had quickly found a new hiding place in a really coarse ivy thicket. Not exactly a five-star accommodation, but I had seen worse. I was, after all, a thief.

But this thief was about to hit the jackpot, because in my satchel, I had the key to my big, rich and perfect life I had dreamed of since I was a kid. In my satchel, I had—

Wait.

Where _was_ my satchel?

I can't believe it took me that long to realize it was no longer slung over my shoulder. I looked around worriedly, in case I had dropped it. I even dared peeking my head out of the ivy, but to no avail.

My satchel was gone.

Then it hit me—back in that tower, I had been looking through my satchel before that…whatever it was…knocked me senseless. What if I had dropped it? Or worse, what if that crazy lady took it? She obviously had no problem trying to kill me…I'm sure taking my stuff wouldn't be an issue when it came to guiltiness.

I clenched my fists and let out a groan. It took me _forever_ to get that crown! That crown belonged to none other than the lost princess of Corona herself, and the Stabbington brothers and I (well, mostly me) had come up with a plan that involved a heist, that crown, and a whole lot of cash. It was foolproof.

Then again, psychopathic old ladies trying to kill me hadn't been part of the equation.

Well, I had no choice but to go back. I _needed_ that crown! That thing was my ticket to a personal island getaway and piles of money. Sell that thing, and all my troubles would be over. I could escape from here, and start over new. By myself. No guards, no criminal-chasing horses, and no more ridiculous wanted posters that defiled my handsome face by screwing up my nose. Just me, sandy beaches, and money…lots of it.

Old, knife-wielding lady or not, I had to get that satchel back. This was the difference between a life of luxury or spending the rest of my years being a criminal on the run with no money to his name.

Making sure I was completely alone, I ducked out from the ivy, going back in the direction from which I came. I'll admit, I didn't really have that much of a plan, but that's how things usually went with me—it was entirely improvisational.

Aside from my thoughts about reclaiming my satchel, something else was on my mind.

That girl.

Why on earth was there a teenage girl cooped up in a tower? She looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, and that hair…gosh! I've always had a thing for girls with long, voluminous hair, but this was just over the top. I couldn't even describe how long that was. Heck, it reached the ground from the top of that tower, which was like, seventy, eighty feet! That was just unreal.

But other than the whole lengthy hair business, she was actually pretty cute. She had those big green eyes and those cute freckles on her nose, not to mention—

Wait. What was I saying?

Ok, there were a lot of cute girls out there, but usually, the only time I dealt with girls was when I was trying to swoon my way out of a sticky situation. Good looks were a plus, but I didn't dwell on them…

Besides, I was running for my life anyway, when I saw her—it wasn't as if I had the time to, you know…_stare_ at her, or anything. No. I worked _alone_. That crown equaled _one_ ticket to Flynn Island; not two. Why was I thinking about this so much anyway? It wasn't my top priority—the satchel was. Still, she'd be there when I went back to that tower…oh, well. Maybe I could win her over with a quick smolder and then she'd show me where my satchel was. Yeah, that's what I'd have to do.

All too soon, the ivy curtain in which I had passed through and discovered that concealed tower in reappeared, even before I had enough time to think up something clever to reclaim my satchel. I know I didn't usually do plans, but at least a faint outline would have been nice…

_Well, here goes nothing,_ I thought, diving back through the ivy. The sooner the better. Get in, grab the satchel, get out. Get in, grab the satchel, get out.

The arrows I had used to scale the wall still remained wedged between the bricks, and I quickly began climbing up the huge tower. As I slowly pulled myself up over the windowsill, I peeked through the shutters with extreme caution.

No daggers, no old ladies. This was a good sign.

At a snail's pace, I inched in, using my many years of experience in stealthy maneuvering. Still, no sign of anyone…not even that girl.

"Agh!" I groaned, slapping a palm against my forehead. "Stop it, stop it, _stop it!_" I _had_ to get that girl off my mind. I took a deep breath and began my search.

_Get in, grab the satchel, get out._

The first place I looked was a clay pot tucked behind the staircase. After all, that would be an obvious place someone would hide it…

Ok, probably too obvious, because it wasn't there. The next place I checked was a dresser, but there was nothing in there either. Inside a closet? No luck.

Under the bed?

Beneath the stairs?

The bookcase?

The oven?

No.

No.

No.

And…no.

No such luck. Everywhere I looked, there was no sign of my satchel—and I turned the place _upside-down_.

Just then, as I was finally about to go insane from not being able to find it, I tripped over something on the floor. Right below me was a loose tile, which had been slid out of the way and led down a spiraling staircase. I grinned, newfound hope rising inside me. Another one of my hidden talents was tracking, seeing as I had to take extra precautions to hide my tracks when escaping. Obviously the Blondie and the knife-lady ran off after I left. No doubt, looking for me.

_Well, they're going to find me, _I decided, already beginning my descent down the staircase. _Because I'm going to come right to them._

I needed that satchel.

And I was going to stop at nothing to get it.

And, though I hated to admit it, I kind of wanted to see that girl again.

Maybe…

…A little.

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**Eek...OOC! OOC! I'm telling you! Review please and let me know!**

**Oh, and for all you who did review...**

**Pascal:**

***Kiss***

***Cookie***

***Hug***

***Giggle***

***Hide and seek game***

***Frying pan***

***Ticket to mars***

***Tongue in ear***

**Etc...**


	4. Betrayed

**Hey, everyone!**

**So, anyway, I got a lot of reviews about Chapter three, and I just want to thank everyone, especially those who left critiques. I appreciate constructive critisism, because I feel that makes my writing better. But of course, I love praise (who doesn't) :-D ! Thanks, thanks, THANKS!**

**Anyway, sorry if this doesn't reach your standards-I really wanted to get chapter 4 up tonight but I was sort of pressed for time. Still, I tried my best, so...hope you like it!**

**Pascal will make his rounds after you review! Today he's got a bag full of chocolate! Why? Because he felt like it. Would you rather a frying pan upside the head? I didn't think so.**

**Thanks again for all the great reviews! Keep them coming!**

**:-)**

**I don't own Tangled...BUT I HAVE THE SOUNDTRACK, NOW! Sigh...just amazing...**

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(Rapunzel's P.O.V.)

I couldn't believe it.

We were actually leaving.

Though the whole new experience—feeling the grass under my toes, smelling the sweet scent of the outdoors, dipping my toes in a puddle of cool water for the first time, like, _ever_—was amazing, tears still threatened to fall from my eyes as I stared at my tower…my _home_…that I would be leaving…

…Forever.

"Rapunzel," Mother's voice snapped me from my wistful gaze of the tower, and I whirled my head back around, trying my best to ignore the wave of homesickness already sweeping over me.

"Dear, keep your hood up," Mother ordered me, and I absentmindedly obeyed, adjusting the dark hood over my head that flared out into a full cloak that hid me completely. Mother said I was to wear that to hide my hair, but it wasn't really successful, seeing as my hair trailed out for what seemed like forever in the grass. Oh, well. As Mother always said, "Mother knows best." It was pointless to object.

In my hands, I grasped, not much, but just what I had been able to carry when I heard we were relocating. All I had in my hands was my box of paints, a few of my favorite lavender dresses folded up nice and neat, the only three books I had ever owned, and of course, a frying pan. Oh, and I also carried a convenient little sketch pad for when I had that on-the-go inspiration to paint. Of course, now, exposed to this whole new world, I would have tons of new painting ideas, but, sadly, I wondered if I would ever have the opportunity to sit down and paint. I prayed our new home would be just as nice as the tower. Then, I would make a whole new mural. Still, it would never replace my old one, and, realizing that, I let out a sigh.

Oh, and I had one more thing…the satchel.

Of course, I couldn't let Mother see it, or she'd confiscate it for sure. No, it was slung over my shoulder and hidden under my cloak, and inside of it was a few other things I hadn't been able to carry; among them, Pascal.

As if the little chameleon could tell he crossed my mind, he poked his head out of the front of my cloak, and I almost couldn't tell he was there because he blended in with the black fabric so well. However, he let out a little squeak and looked up at me curiously, and I shook my head.

"No, Pascal," I whispered, making sure I was out of Mother's earshot, "we're not there yet. I'm sorry…but I promise I'll tell you when we get there."

A look of sadness flooded my little pet's eyes, and then he scurried back into my cloak.

I felt sorry for Pascal…just as I felt sorry for myself. I knew I shouldn't complain; I was getting my wish, after all. I was getting to leave the tower. But this was different. I wanted to leave to see the lanterns, knowing I would come back.

This time, I would never come back.

My mind flooded with a recollection of what had occurred in just the past hour—it had changed my life forever. Why hadn't I just kept quiet? Or—and this infuriated me—why couldn't that man just have minded his own business in the first place and never intruded in my tower? I shook my head. I couldn't blame him…in fact, I was now coming to think it was just a misunderstanding. He was just an innocent man in the wrong place at the wrong time, and—

"Agh!" I cried out as I slammed against something, having not been paying attention to where I was going. All the things in my hands fell onto the floor, and Pascal skittered out onto my arm to see what was going on. I shook my head, trying to clear my vision after crashing into the unexpected object, and in front of me I made out the bark of a tree—something else in this outside world that was new to me.

"Rapunzel?" Mother whirled around, anxiously rushing to my side. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah…" I mumbled, unsure of what to say. I got attacked by a…tree? Maybe Mother was right, after all. I _was_ pretty clumsy and vague… "Just…I, uh…"

"Rapunzel," she snapped, "mumbling…"

"Oh, right," I nodded, shaking my head. "Never mind. I'm fine."

Mother looked me over suspiciously one last time, and then, with a shrug, went back to the front and began leading the way once again.

"Don't dawdle, dear," she called back to me.

But I didn't hear her last few words, because once again, I was focused on something else. And this time, this something else was right in front of me.

I had seen many amazing things that day, but this wasn't just amazing—it was shocking, and terrifying, and made my heart freeze. I reached up to touch it, and the crinkle of paper under my fingertips proved that I wasn't dreaming.

It was _him_.

There it was, clear as day. It looked exactly like him…except for the nose.

The man who had been in my tower.

The poster had everything—the same messy hair, the same charming smile, and above that image, four words that I will never forget.

_Wanted: Thief_

_Flynn Rider._

Stunned, I looked below the picture to see more.

_Wanted, dead or alive._

Oh, my gosh.

My head was reeling, and I tried to catch my breath.

My mother was right.

He was a thief.

He hadn't just stumbled upon that tower innocently…he was there for a purpose.

He was there for me.

"Rapunzel!" Mother called once again, noticing that I was staring, wide-eyed, at a tree. Pascal, seeing she was approaching, skittered back up my sleeve.

"You were right…" I gasped, and that was all I could say. I tore the picture off the tree, gripping it tightly in my hands. I couldn't believe it.

Mother had been right.

"What's that, dear?" she asked, coming back over to my side once again.

"It's him…he's a criminal…" I breathed, heart pounding. Tears flooded my eyes. And to think, I helped him escape…

…who knows what kind of trouble he was causing now?

Not saying that I should have let him die…of course, I could never do that. But just…I couldn't believe it. I felt betrayed.

Completely and utterly betrayed.

"Oh, Rapunzel," Mother gasped, taking a look at the crumpled wanted poster in my hands. She clucked her tongue. "What did I tell you? I told you that man was up to no good! Why didn't you listen?"

"Mother, I couldn't just let you—" I sighed, not finishing my sentence. I couldn't even bring myself to say the words. I just shook my head and pulled out the satchel, hurling it to the ground, not caring that I was revealing it to Mother. Let her see it!

As the satchel hit the dirt, it flew open, sending my belongings scattering everywhere, and one other thing:

The crown.

Mother let out a gasp unlike anything I'd ever heard, and then she ran over to the ground, and picked it up, hands trembling.

"How…" she whispered, "h—how did you get this?"

"_He_ brought it," I spat out the word. "Keep it. I don't care anymore."

Mother still stared at the crown in her shaking hands.

"Mother…" I asked, confused at Mother's strange reaction. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, tucking the crown into her own cloak pocket. "Let's just stop here. I need to take a rest for a bit, dear…"

I nodded, still unsure about Mother's odd response. With a shrug, I wandered off into a small flower patch, far enough to give Mother some space but not far enough to make her worry about me. I leaned down to observe the small flowers—or, actually, they were weeds. But I didn't care. I thought they still looked pretty.

Dandelions—I had read about those in my botany book. I picked up one of them and blew, surprised to see all the little puffy white seeds blow off into the breeze. Enthused, I picked up another one and blew. Again, a flurry of dandelion fluff.

Another dandelion. Blow. A fuzzy white paradise.

Pretty soon, I was blissfully blowing on every dandelion in sight, my worries completely forgotten. I pranced through the soft puffs, feeling their fuzz underneath the soles of my feet, twirling and blowing, twirling and blowing…

And then I froze.

Because, amongst all the dandelion puffs fluttering back down to earth, I spotted something.

A person, to be more exact.

There, only a few yards away, was _him_.

That man.

The thief.

Flynn Rider.

And I had never been more terrified in my life.

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**Yes, before you say anything, I know that Rapunzel didn't know the crown was a crown. I just couldn't think of a better way to describe it. :-)**

**More soon!**

**Tell me what you think! Hope you liked!**


	5. The Deal

**Hey! Here's chapter 5 of What Must Be Done!**

**Ok, so, I want to thank everyone who reviewed! Thank you, and you, and you, and you, and...oh, not you, because you didn't bother to press the review button :-( Oh, well. Thanks anyway for reading! And as I mentioned, uh...I like reviews. They are like cupcakes for my heart and soul...and not those crummy, cheap cupcakes either. Like...like Atilla the Thug's cupcakes! Tee hee hee!**

**But anyway, back to Flynn's perspective! Once again, I think he sounds OOC, but that might be just me...for those people who draw, they just can't get his nose right, and for me, who writes, I just can't seem to get his..._amazingness _right!**

**But still, tell me what you think. Any ideas? I'm all ears!**

**Disney: "I own Tangled and you don't! hahahahahahaha-" WHACK!**

**(Collapses to floor as Sheep1215 hits them with frying pan)**

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(Flynn's P.O.V.)

There she was.

It was that girl.

I couldn't believe my luck—I was within a few yards of reclaiming my satchel…and getting to talk to that girl, finally. As much as I hated to admit it, I hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. She looked just as surprised to see me, but I don't think that was a good thing. As I approached her, she stared, wide-eyed at me, and it looked as if she was trying not to breathe.

"Relax, Blondie," I finally spoke, "whatever happened, I didn't do it."

"Oh, really?" she cried out, pulling something out of her cloak pocket. My stomach lurched as I saw what she had in her hand: a wanted poster with _my_ face on it.

Oh, boy…this was bad.

This was very bad.

They got my nose wrong, _again_!

But the main problem I was having was, now that she knew I was a thief, there probably was no chance of me getting that satchel back! I had to smooth talk my way through this, and fast.

"Look, Blondie," I said, shaking my hair. Girls always loved that. "I know this looks bad, but—"

"I bet you stole that thing in your satchel, too!" she stomped her bare foot in the grass. "I should have never helped you escape!"

"And let that crazy lady stab me to death?" I grinned. "Come on, Blondie, have a heart!"

"My name is _Rapunzel_," she scowled. "And that 'crazy lady' just so happens to be my _mother_."

The grin fell from my face. Yikes—me and my big mouth.

"Look, Rapunzel," I tried my best to pronounce her name, "can I just have my satchel back? You obviously have no use for it, and I'm sure you'd much rather be prancing through dandelions right now than arguing with me, so…"

Blondie wouldn't give in so easily. Instead, she put her hands on her hips and glared at me.

"Give me one good reason whyI should," she challenged.

I flashed her my best smolder.

"Because I'm…irresistible?"

No?

Nothing?

…Nothing.

No good. Goldie wasn't buying it. Finally, I let out a sigh. "Look, what do you want from me?"

She stopped scowling at me for a moment as a squeak came from up her sleeve—literally—and a little green, uh…frog-thing...scurried out from the sleeve of her cloak. It looked up at her, and then, noticing me, gave me a growl and a menacing glare.

"Ok…?" I said, backing away.

"Don't go anywhere," she commanded, turning her back on me to speak with the weird creature.

_Yeah, right,_ I thought, already beginning to walk backwards into the bushes. Obviously, this was going to get me nowhere. I'd just have to find another way to get it…later, when she wasn't expecting it…

When I was sure Blondie was distracted, I turned and bolted into the woods. Well, that didn't exactly go as planned, but maybe now, I could—

"Woah!" I yelled as I felt something snag my leg and tug me backwards, and before I knew it, I was yanked to the ground and being dragged off against my will. What the heck?

Before I could manage to escape, the dragging stopped and I found myself staring up straight into the big green, angry eyes of that girl again, and I looked down to see her freakishly long hair tied around my ankles.

"Look, Rapunzel," I sighed, "obviously, I have nothing you want, and this conversation is going nowhere, so why don't you just let me go, and I'll be out of your hair…" I tugged at the rope-like locks wrapped around my ankles, "…In more ways than one…"

"Nope," she shook her head. "Flynn Rider, I'm here to make a deal with you."

"Actually, Goldie, I'm not a big fan of deals," I disagreed. "Usually most of them include me being shot with an arrow, punched in the face or ultimately…uh…dead. Sometimes all three."

She gave me a curious look, and then the irritated look came over her once again. "No, my deal doesn't include any of that. It includes you, your satchel, and my tower."

I immediately perked up when I heard "your satchel". Finally freeing both of my boots from the thick blonde hair, I slowly rose to my feet.

"Keep talking," I instructed her.

"Because of _you_, I have been ripped away from my home and I'm probably going to end up living in some hole in the ground somewhere," she gestured out towards the denser part of the woods. "Your job is to get me _back_ home, and make sure Mother lets me stay there."

Ok, this was ridiculous. How on earth was I supposed to persuade some lady I didn't even know to let her daughter return home? It didn't help that, you know, she was trying to _kill_ me just a few hours ago! Was this girl out of her mind?

"How the _heck _am I supposed to do _that_?" I objected.

"You'll think of something, Mr. 'I'm irresistible'."

I had nothing to say to that.

"And in return, I'll give you back your satchel, _and_ whatever was in it," she continued. "I promise."

"How do I know you're not just setting me up?" I questioned. Being a criminal myself, I knew deception like the back of my hand, and I wasn't about to trust some random girl who _dragged _me through the dirt with her hair like it was some kind of weapon!

"I promise," she added. "And when I promise something, I never, _ever_ break a promise."

The frog-thing nodded and glared at me, daring me to say more.

I finally gave in. Oh, well. If there was a chance I could get that crown back, then I'd take it. With a reluctant sigh, I threw up my hands. "Fine…let's get this over with."

Rapunzel let out a sigh of relief at the fact that I finally agreed. "Good. Now, my tower's just through those trees. Let's—"

"Hey, men! There he is!"

Oh, no.

I whirled around, squinting through the trees, and my fears were realized as I spotted a swarm of guards thundering towards us on their horses.

I didn't have to wonder who they were after.

"Ok, time to go!" I yelled, grabbing the girl's arm and tugging her after me. Though confused, she took off in a run next to me, scooping up all of the hair that she could so it wouldn't stop her from racing after me.

"Wait, what are we doing?" she asked frantically, looking over her shoulder. "The tower's that way!"

"Tell that to _them_!" I yelled over the thundering hooves of our pursuers.

"Well, where _are_ we going?" she cried.

"Away from here!"

I looked over my shoulder, my heart pounding at the sight of the guards getting closer and closer. I saw they had their arrow guns aimed and ready, and I was barely able to jerk the girl out of the way in enough time to save her from a shot that whizzed inches from her head.

"We'll get you, Rider!" I heard a guard cry out. "And your accomplice, as well!"

Oh, great. So now I had a partner in crime. This day just got better and better.

"Flynn, what do we do?" Blondie exclaimed.

"Run, jump, try not to die!"

"What kind of plan is that?"

I chuckled. Blondie didn't really understand, did she? Well, she was the one who had gotten herself into this. Now that she was working with me, I guess she would have to roll with the punches. I shrugged. What else could I say?

"Just another day in the life of Flynn Rider!"

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**Ok, so, the ending isn't really the greatest but I didn't want it to be too long. GAH!**

**Like I said, reviews...cupcakes...**

**Oh, why are you reading this? Just push that review button! That one...down...right...there...No! No, don't scroll up! WRONG WAY! WRONG WAY! Grrrrr...**


	6. Change of Plan

**Hey everyone! Sorry this took a little while to be posted...I sort of had writer's block for a little while...but here it is! Chapter 6!**

**Thanks everyone who already reviewed! And if you like this story...well, I have some news. Seeing as it's been a little difficult to come up with the details on each chapter, I'm contemplating turning this back into a one-shot, with just the first chapter. At first, it was never meant to be a full chaptered story, but then it was just a little idea. I have sort of a rough idea of how it might go, but it's just getting a bit difficult to continue. I'm not sure yet, though-your thoughts?**

**Again, thanks to everyone who reviewed! And...heeheehee...thanks 26ja, for giving me the idea of giving out hugs from FLYNN as a reviewer reward! (It took a lot of persuading, but he finally gave in...after all, he thinks he's "irresistable", doesn't he?) So, Flynn hugs for everyone! LOL...maybe that'll get people to review!**

**Whatever you want...Flynn hug, Pascal hug, Rapunzel hug, Gothel hug (I hope not)...just review, ok? PRETTY PLEASE?**

**Thanks for reading!**

**(Opens letter)**

**Dear Sheep1215:**

**We are sorry to inform you that you do not own Tangled, and-**

**"AGH! NO!" *Smashes letter with hammer***

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(Rapunzel's P.O.V.)

I still had trouble comprehending what was going on.

After all, I had never had to run for my life like this before!

But the wanted thief running beside me seemed perfectly calm with the situation, as if he had to deal with angry men pursuing him with horses and weapons on a daily basis.

Though, come to think of it, he probably did.

"Rider!" I heard the angry call from behind me and sprinted ahead even faster, though I could feel myself getting slightly winded from the unexpected chase. But there was no way I could stop now—I would die! Terrified, I urged myself on even faster.

"Relax, Blondie," Flynn chuckled, though I couldn't believe that he was laughing in all this chaos.

_How can I relax when I'm one arrow away from getting killed?_ I screamed in my head. This guy was crazy!

I heard the whiz of arrows flying all around us, and before I could do anything, Flynn grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the way once again, just as a sharp arrow that would have spelled my doom zipped inches away from my face.

My heart pounded as we ducked to the right, weaving through trees and low lying branches. I could already feel the twigs and such snagging in my hair, and I knew it was only a matter of time before we got stuck in this mess.

"Flynn—" I tried to yell out, but instead I got a mouthful of leaves as the wanted criminal pulled me through the tangled branches and stems. What had I gotten myself into?

Suddenly, my eyes flooded with sunlight as we came to a stop, and I had never been so thankful in my whole life for light. However, when I saw Flynn's shocked expression and the reason why we stopped, my stomach lurched.

There, right in front of us, was a huge cliff, which dropped off at least sixty or seventy feet. There was another side, but the canyon stretched out for what seemed like forever. There was no way possible we could jump, and—

"Right through here, men!" I heard the gruff voice behind us yell out, and I gasped as I heard the crashing of the horses coming from the jumble of foliage. It would be only a matter of time before they got us, and there was no escape.

"What do we do?" my frantic gaze jerked back to Flynn, who was staring over the edge of the precipice, stunned. Apparently, he wasn't expecting this. "This doesn't sound like the plan!" The thief's "run, fall, try not to die" method hadn't worked out as well as he had hoped.

"Uh…ah…" Flynn bit his lip, looking around for some means of escape. The thrashing from the brush escalated, and I could already imagine the pain of a sharp arrow piercing through my back. Just like Flynn, I too began looking for an escape, and even Pascal scurried out from the collar of my cloak and aided us in the search, though our efforts were futile.

There was no way out.

Why didn't I just stay with Mother? This was all my fault! Now we were both going to die…I buried my face in my hair, holding back tears. Why was I so weepy? Maybe because my life was about to end…I couldn't believe one person could make so many mistakes in one day.

Then, it hit me.

My hair.

As quick as I could, I spread out my long, blonde hair and wrung it so it was thin enough to be used as a rope. Meanwhile, Flynn had stopped his search, and was looking at me like I was insane.

"Don't just stand there!" I ordered. "Help me!"

Without objection, Flynn began helping me smooth out my hair, though I could tell he had no idea what we were doing. But I knew. Unlike _some_ people, I had a plan. And my plan made sense.

The thundering of the horses' hooves matched the thundering of my rapidly pounding heart. I could hear the men's voices getting closer, and I knew, any second, one rouge arrow could come flying from those bushes and then it would be all over.

No time…

…We had no time!

But no time was enough time, as Flynn and I were finally able to fashion a long enough rope of hair. Without wasting a second, I grabbed my hair and flung it with all my might, letting out a delighted gasp as I saw it successfully wrap around a tree across the chasm.

"Hang on!" I yelled out to Flynn, whose eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. I had already scooped up Pascal, but Flynn just stood and stared at me, slack-jawed. I glared at him, exasperated. We had no time for this! "What are you waiting for?"

"Uh…" Flynn muttered, trying to position his hands in a way that wouldn't be awkward wrapped around me. Finally, he settled on a position wrapped around my neck, and, taking a deep breath, I backed up, took off on a running start, and leaped into mid-air.

I could hear Flynn screaming in my ear, but I cheered in exhilaration, my hands gripped tightly on my rope of hair as we swung across the cavernous trench…never, _ever_, had I felt so free. The wind against my face…the limitless feeling of nothing under my feet…I felt as if I was flying.

I could fly.

Before I knew it, my feet once again touched earth, and both Flynn and I tumbled to the ground, dazed. I was almost sad it was over. But at least we were safe.

I whipped my head around to spot the men on the horses _way_ over on the other side of the drop. Though there was no physical way any of those horses could leap a chasm that large, I could see that our pursuers weren't giving up, and were already positioning their arrow shooters. I wasn't going to take any chances. I scurried up to my feet, dragging Flynn along with me, who was still in shock over the fact that my _hair_ had just saved his life.

When I was finally confident that we were out of shooting range, I stopped walking and turned to face Flynn, who was inspecting yet another wanted poster of himself nailed to a tree.

"Ok, now I _know_ they're just being mean…" he muttered, tracing the outline of his grotesquely drawn nose that seemed to be three times as long as his face.

"_Why_ were those men so intent on catching you?" I demanded to know. "What did you do that was so bad?"

"Well, I've got a pretty impressive list, Blondie," he grinned, turning around to face me. "But I'm not really in the mood to go into mass detail—"

"Yeah, well, you've got something _else_ to add to that list," I snapped. "Kidnapping an innocent young girl! Are you proud of that, Flynn Rider?"

"Hey, you asked _me_!" Flynn retaliated. "You wanted me to take you—"

"I asked you to take me _home_, not halfway across the whole forest!" With one last angry glare at him, I immediately began climbing a tree, seeing if we just happened to be anywhere near my tower.

_Mother…she must be so worried about me!_ I thought, my heart sinking. Flynn sort of was right…I did ask _him_. But I didn't want him to go on a deadly chase with me through the woods! I wanted to go _home_. Now, I thought that just being back with Mother in some hole in the ground would be better than being stuck here with…ugh…_him_. Finally reaching the top of the branches, I scanned overhead, with no luck. Nothing but trees for miles around. And…

Wait. What on Earth was that?

Off in the distance was a _huge_ tower, at least three or four times bigger than mine. It just peeked through the trees, but whatever it was, it was magnificent. And it was close.

"Flynn!" I called down. "Come up here! What is that?"

As the thief climbed up the tree and finally reached my side, I pointed out towards the huge building, and Flynn grimaced.

"Oh, that's the castle," he explained. "We're closer to the Kingdom than I thought. Alright," he turned and started descending down the tree, "let's get a move on, Blondie. The quicker we leave, the quicker we can find your tower…and get away from here."

I was too intrigued to object to him calling me Blondie, and I stared wistfully at the building. It was so beautiful…almost as if it was calling me. I imagined painting a huge mural at it, and I marveled at the glorious thought. I wanted to go there. No. I _had_ to go there.

"No, no, wait!" I called down to Flynn, who stopped in his tracks. "I've changed my mind."

"W—what?" he stammered in disbelief. "What is it with women and always changing their mind?"

"I want to go _there_," I decided, pointing out once again towards the castle. "Can you take me there?"

"No way," Flynn said quickly, shaking his head. "No, sweetheart, the Kingdom and I aren't exactly 'buddy-buddy' at the moment. I'm assuming you didn't like those guards chasing us?"

"I—"

"I didn't think so," Flynn interrupted me, climbing back up to lead me back down to the ground. "Well, there's even more by that castle. So let's go! Take a road trip! You get back home, I get my satchel, and we can pretend this never happened at all! Sound good? Ok? Ok. Let's go."

"No," I shook my head, batting his hands off my shoulders. "Flynn, why can't you just take me? It's just over there, and it'll only be for a day or two, just…please?"

"Woah, woah, woah!" he stopped me. "A day or two? Are you insane? Look, Goldie, tomorrow night is the annual release of the lanterns, and that's the day that security's extra tight! There is no way—"

Suddenly, it hit me, and a wave of joy surged through me. "The lanterns!" I squealed. "Of course! That's what they are!"

Flynn looked at me, completely confused. "Did I not catch something here?"

I giggled, still overflowing with delight that I was _this_ close to what I had been searching for in the first place! "Every night on my birthday these floating lights would come from _all_ over, and completely light up the sky," I explained. "Ever since I was young, I've always wondered what they were, and—"

"Well, now you know. Let's go," Flynn cut me off, grabbing my arm once again.

"No!" I jerked my arm away, fed up with being cut off. "Don't you see? I have to _see_ them! And now's my chance! Flynn, you don't know how long I've dreamt of an opportunity like this, and now…"

I trailed off when I saw the look on his face. No matter how much I pleaded, that selfish jerk still wouldn't take me to the castle!

"Hey," I said, grabbing a lock of my hair and waving it at him. "I saved your _life_. You owe me."

"Please," he scoffed, shaking his hair for what seemed like the millionth time. Why on earth did he do that? "In case you haven't noticed, Blondie, I'm _Flynn Rider_. I would have found a way to get out of there one way or another."

"Oh," I smiled deviously, playing along. "So, Flynn Rider can do _anything_, right?"

"Absolutely," Flynn grinned, flexing his biceps. I rolled my eyes.

"And he can get himself out of _any_ situation, right?"

"Yep."

"So, if, oh, I don't know…someone just happened to go into the Kingdom and _tell_ those oh-so-friendly guards of Flynn Rider's exact location…"

Flynn's gaze snapped back at me.

"You wouldn't!"

I simply smirked at him and crossed my arms.

Flynn groaned and clenched his fists in his hair, obviously having some kind of mental argument with himself. Finally, with a reluctant sigh, he turned to look at me.

"I really, _really_ don't like you."

"The feeling's mutual," I replied.

With one more angry snuff, he began climbing down the tree, and I followed quickly behind, trying my best to hold in a squeal of triumph.

I couldn't believe it. I was going to the Kingdom!

And I would finally get to live my dream.

Maybe this day wouldn't be so bad after all!

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**Remember, Flynn hugs! *Gives thumbs-up and big grin***

**Review please!**


	7. An Apple and An Orphan

**HOLA!**

**Wow...this chapter is long. Well, longer than the others. But I still think it turned out pretty well. Though Flynn still seems out of character...UGH! CURSE YOU AND YOUR AWESOMENESS! JK, Flynn. I love you!**

**WOW! OVER FIFTY REVIEWS! I LOVE YOU GUYS! KEEP IT UP!**

**As promised...FLYNN HUGS!**

**(Flynn walks in and hugs everyone)**

**Ok...any other suggestions? Me likey reviews!**

**Maybe I'll give the pub thugs a call...**

**Anyway, I'm still contemplating the choice to reduce this to a one-shot, but you guys' imputs are sort of leading me away from that decision. Keep it up! Love to see what you think!**

**So...this is chapter 7. Hope you like it! Review if you do! And...even if you don't (gasp)! Did I mention I love reviews? Uh...yeah. I think I did.**

**Sheep1215: Will you give me Tangled if I give you ten million dollars?**

**Disney: Nope.**

**Sheep1215: How about if I give you 72 Oscar awards?**

**Disney: Nada.**

**Sheep1215: Well...how about if I give you a muffin?**

**Disney: OMG YESSSSSSS! :D**

**Sheep1215: Oh, crud...I don't have a muffin. AUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHH!**

**Needless to say, I do not own Tangled...or muffins... ;-)**

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I couldn't believe I was doing this.

This was pathetic—it was like I had just escaped from a pack of hungry lions and decided to just prance back into their den! Oh, because that's _really_ smart.

But I didn't really have a choice—that girl wanted to go to the castle, and no matter how many times I refused to take her to the Kingdom, she had insisted on going. Finally, she blackmailed me into taking her. _Blackmail_! What was this world coming to? That was _my_ job!

My hands were tied, and I hated it. Blondie, on the other hand, seemed ecstatic. Honestly, she was grinning from ear-to-ear, though I could see she was making an obvious yet unsuccessful attempt to hide it. I rolled my eyes. Money, yeah, that was something to be happy about. A good heist? Absolutely. Fame? Fortune? That was the stuff that mattered. But lanterns? Seriously…_lanterns_? I still couldn't understand why Blondie thought that that was the greatest thing on earth. They were lights! Granted, the show was spectacular, but I'd choose my own personal island and buckets of money over some floating lanterns any day.

Oh, well. It didn't really matter. I just needed that satchel! I didn't care how long it took, though, of course, the sooner the better. But, whatever. As long as I got that crown.

I _needed_ that crown!

"What's it like, Flynn?" Blondie's voice jolted me out of my thoughts, and I turned to face the joyous young girl.

I was shocked. "You mean…you don't know _anything_ about it?" I mean, even if she'd never been there, chances are she would have at least _heard_ of the Kingdom of Corona…

She shook her head. "I've…lived in that tower my whole life. I've never left. Mother wouldn't let me."

My eyes widened. What kind of Mother would lock up her daughter in a tower for…what, 17, 18 years? She looked to be about that age. Though it was kind of hard to tell. Her eyes were so young, and innocent, and…and beautiful…

_Agh!_ I scolded myself mentally. _Stop it! Shut up!_ I clenched my fists. I did _not_ like her! She was more of a nuisance than anything. The sooner I got rid of her, the better. In fact, as soon as I got that satchel, I was planning to bolt for it. I'd never see her again, and she'd never see me. Everything would be back to normal, and I could start planning the rest of my paradisiacal life.

"So, what's it like?" she asked again.

"It's, uh…" I rubbed the back of my neck. "It's um, it's a nice place." I was actually belittling it, and I knew it. Corona was gorgeous. It had everything a kingdom should have, and stepping through the gates felt like entering another world...especially when you spent your days roaming in the forest like I did. But I couldn't praise a place where I was no doubt loathed. I knew, deep down inside, that it was my fault that I was one of the most scorned criminals around, but I couldn't help it. Gotta steal to live. Nothing I could do about it.

"But what's there?" Rapunzel asked. "What do people do there?"

"Pretty much everything," I answered. "There's tons of shops which sell just about everything, and they've got a beautiful spread. There's uh…there's music, dancing, general merrymaking—"

"Music?" the girl gasped, her eyes shining. "Dancing? Really?"

"No, I just told you that because I felt like randomly lying to you," I said sarcastically.

She grinned slyly at me. "Well, you _are_ a criminal…"

"I think we've established that."

"And the lanterns…what are they like?" Blondie asked eagerly, not even trying to hide her anticipation anymore. "You know, up close?"

I chuckled.

"Well, Blondie," I replied, "I guess you'll just have to see that for yourself."

O-O-O-O-O

I don't think I've ever seen one person so happy before.

The second Blondie caught sight of the Kingdom entrance, she completely freaked out. With a huge squeal, she darted across the bridge that led into Corona, and I hastened to keep up with her, crumpling up a wanted poster of myself that I just so happened to spot.

_This is the stupidest mistake ever,_ I thought to myself, chucking the crumpled paper over the side of the bridge. With an event as important as the _lanterns_ coming up, the palace guards would be everywhere. I didn't think Blondie knew how _important_ it was that I stay hidden. Didn't she read the poster? "Wanted, dead or alive."

This was serious stuff.

But, oh, well. I guess I would just have to roll with the punches. After all, I had been doing that all my life, hadn't I? Just a day…two at the most, and I would have my satchel. I took a deep breath and just tried to make the best of it.

The second Blondie stepped foot into the city square, we faced our first problem—this girl had freakishly long hair. Granted, _I _already knew that, but I didn't think of how much trouble it was going to be. The girl couldn't even take two steps without being yanked back by someone's shoe trampling her hair. I rushed in to scoop up the locks, with people giving us strange looks. This was ridiculous.

"Hey, Goldie," I joked, "there's this new thing; it's called a 'haircut'. You should really try it someday!"

Suddenly, Blondie's gaze snapped to me with wide, frightened eyes, and she protectively grabbed at her hair. Even the frog-thing, which had been watching me suspiciously through practically the whole trip, narrowed its eyes angrily.

My joking grin disappeared. "Hey, what did I say?"

"N-nothing," the girl stuttered, looking away. She let out a sigh. "This _will _be a problem, won't it?"

I looked around, as if some kind of solution would fall out of the sky.

Well, it didn't fall out of the sky, but it came.

There, sitting on the edge of the fountain, was a small group of girls, each braiding each others' hair.

_Perfect,_ I thought, calling them over with a whistle. The second they spotted Rapunzel's hair, they let out a joyous gasp and instantly scurried over to her, and I walked off to a nearby vendor as they tended to her hair. I hadn't eaten in what seemed like forever…and Blondie probably hadn't either. The sun was already beginning to set—I was sure we could _both _do with a snack.

As I stood waiting in line at a stall selling fruit, I debated whether or not to just go over and swipe an apple while no one was looking. However, I shook my head. Sure, with all my experience, the chances of getting caught were super slim, but I couldn't risk it. Not yet, anyway. I was sure, sooner or later, I was going to run out of coins in my pocket and would have no choice. But until then, it would be better to just avoid trouble. I sighed. Avoid trouble? What the heck was I saying? Trouble was my middle name. This did _not_ sound like me.

Before I knew it, I had reached the front of the line and exchanged a few coins for two apples; one for Blondie and one for me. Just to entertain myself, I took one apple and rolled it across my shoulders, and just when I was about to take a bite of it, something caught my eye.

There, just to my right, where the apples were, was a little boy. He looked to be about seven or eight, and he had messy black hair that fell over his eyes. His clothes were tattered and dirty, and I could see the scrapes on his bare feet. He was looking around nervously, making sure that no one was watching him, and then he stuck his hand into the pile of apples and pulled out one of his own.

I knew exactly what kind of kid this was.

He was an orphan.

I looked at that boy and I saw myself. I, too, had been an orphan, and I remembered myself in that same situation—the same tattered clothes and filthy appearance, and the same circumstances in which I had to fend for myself, no matter what the cost. The little boy looked terrified. I would be, too. Even though I had stolen _tons_ when I was a kid, I knew the punishment if any of the orphanage owners found out: You were in for a good beating. I knew that from experience. And seeing how young this boy was, I just…I just couldn't risk him having to endure that. I winced, memories of the first time _I_ was caught stealing flooding my mind.

"Hey," I said gently, and the boy leapt in the air, surprised. His huge hazel eyes gazed up at me, and he gripped the apple tightly, as if it was his greatest treasure. Perhaps it was.

Tears welled up in his terrified eyes as he spoke. "I—I'm sorry, sir…I really didn't—I…Please don't tell!"

My heart broke at the sight of this boy, and I leaned down with a consoling smile and held out my apple to him.

"Hey, it's alright," I coaxed, "No big deal. You don't have to do that."

Hesitantly, he set the apple he had swiped back in the pile with the others and took mine, eyeing it suspiciously. When he finally was sure there was nothing strange about it, he looked back up at me, his eyes full of gratitude.

"Thank you, mister," he smiled, and I chuckled as he ran off with his newly claimed prize.

…One he didn't have to steal.

"Hey, Flynn," Rapuznel's voice behind me gave me a jolt, and I whirled around to face her, her hair neatly braided and entwined with a gorgeous array of flowers.

She looked beautiful.

I shook away the thought, angry with myself once again, and offered her the apple. She took in her hand, but instead of taking a bite, she let her hand fall to her side and looked at me with a small smile.

"Why did you do that?"

I held my breath. I couldn't believe she had seen that! I decided to play it off like I had no idea what she was talking about. "W—W—What do you mean?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about," she said, reading my mind. "Why did you give that boy your apple? Whatever happened to the big, bad, 'I'm Flynn Rider and I can take anything I want' attitude?"

"Shh…" I shushed her, leading her away from the group of people before anyone overheard anything. "Hey, he was an orphan," I shrugged. "I wasn't gonna let him starve."

"An orphan?" she asked curiously. "What's that?"

I stared at her, amazed. There was so much that she didn't know…but not in a bad way. Her innocence got the best of me, and I couldn't help but tell her.

"Uh…an orphan is a kid without any parents," I explained, biting my lip. Maybe now she'd drop the subject, before…

"That's horrible!" she gasped, staring at me, wide-eyed. "Why on earth would any kid not have parents?"

"Well, Blondie, things happen," I sighed. "Sometimes parents can't take care of their kid for whatever reason, and sometimes, they just…" I swallowed, not able to finish my sentence. I remembered that fateful day, when I was only six, and my parents…just weren't there anymore.

"They…_die_?" Blondie finished the sentence in a whisper.

I solemnly nodded.

"But…" she still looked confused. "Why do they have to steal?"

"Living without parents means they have to mostly fend for themselves," I answered, memories of my time in the orphanage overwhelming me. "Some live in orphanages filled with other parentless children, and there's only so much they can get from the owners. Others don't even have that, and have to live on the streets…"

"Wow…" Rapunzel said breathlessly, her eyes full of genuine sorrow. Then, she eyed me quizzically. "Flynn, how do you know so much about this?"

I looked away.

"Flynn…" she said quietly, gazing sympathetically into my eyes, "…Are you an orphan?"

I let out a sigh, stuffing my hands into my pockets.

"Yeah."

"Oh, Flynn," she gasped, "I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be," I said quickly, shaking my head. "It's no big deal. Things happen. That was the past."

"But—"

"No, it's alright, Blondie," I cut her off, not wanting to talk any more. "Honest." I quickly decided to change the subject. "So…uh…how are you enjoying the Kingdom?"

Rapunzel's sorrowful look turned to one of pure joy, and she twirled around. "Oh, it's just _amazing_! It's so beautiful! I can't wait to look around."

"Well, then, let's go," I chuckled, happy to get away from the whole orphan topic. We walked back into the crowd, and both Blondie and I began our silent walk on the cobblestone sidewalk.

"Hey, Flynn," Rapunzel broke the silence.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

I nodded. "You're welcome."

Another awkward silence.

"Hey, Blondie," I broke the silence this time.

"Yeah?"

"I still don't like you."

Rapunzel giggled. "Same here, Flynn. Same here."

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	8. Confessions

**Hey everyone!**

**Ok, just to let you know ahead of time, I think the first half of this chapter is horrible. Just letting you know that I'm aware...please don't hurt me! I know it sounds like I copied a lot from the movie in this chapter...yeah, I sort of did. I couldn't think of a better way of doing what I did. I still hope you like it. Please do!**

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**Sorry, this chapter is long. It actually has two ideas that I didn't feel like dividing into two chapters. Do you guys like the long chapters? If that's the case, I'd be happy to continue. To be honest, it's easier that way, believe it or not.**

**(To the tune of I See the Light)**

**"And alas, I don't own Tangled!**

**And that's really made me angry**

**And because I don't own Tangled**

**I'm really feeling BLUUUUUUUUE!"**

**Yes, I know that was lame.**

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_Oh, Flynn…_

I felt so sorry for him.

Though I was overjoyed to have finally made it into the very place where I would see the floating lights, I had also learned a secret, too. Flynn—the thief travelling alongside me who had irritated me _so_ much—did, in fact, have a back-story. A tragic one, I might add.

Flynn Rider was an orphan.

I had come to the conclusion his parents had died—after seeing the pain in his eyes when I mentioned the word. My heart sank thinking of what he had to go through. When he described an orphan to me, he told me of all the horrible, unfair things they had to deal with. I felt so sad when I thought of Flynn having to endure so much pain. Granted, I didn't have a father, but at least I had Mother.

_Mother…_ I sighed mentally. _She must be so worried…_ And it was true. Already, the stars were beginning to appear in the rapidly dimming sky, and I thought of Mother, alone and worried sick in the forest. A pang of guilt hit me. Granted, I loved the kingdom, but deep down inside I wished that Flynn had just taken me straight to the tower, or that I had just stayed with Mother the whole time and never wandered off.

Still, here I was, and I was getting what I wanted. I was going to enjoy every second of it.

"Flynn, where should we go first?" I asked, looking eagerly at all the splendid shops around me.

But Flynn just stopped walking and didn't reply, so I asked him again.

"Flynn, I said—"

"Oh, gosh…not this guy again."

I looked up at Flynn, whose shocked gaze was locked straight ahead, and I followed his line of sight to spot a huge white stallion staring straight at us.

I giggled. "Flynn, it's just a horse!"

"Yeah," he hissed through his teeth, not taking his gaze off of the animal. "A crazy insane horse that's out to kill me!"

Now I was completely confused. "What—"

"Running now, questions later!" Flynn exclaimed, grabbing my arm and yanking me into an alleyway. Immediately, I heard the horse whinny behind us, and his hooves began pounding against the cobblestones, an eerily familiar sound from our chase earlier that morning. I ran with Flynn, who ducked through the winding alleyways like a pro. Come to think of it, he had probably used these alleyways as escape routes many times.

"Why does trouble always seem to find you?" I asked Flynn over the increasingly loud noise of the horse quickly approaching.

"You get used to it!"

I rolled my eyes, not even daring to waste time looking over my shoulder. I knew the horse was right on our tails—what on Earth were we going to do now? We couldn't keep running forever!

"Wait, just—stop!" I yanked away from Flynn and stopped running, and Flynn whirled around to face me, a bewildered look on his face.

"Are you _insane_?"

"_You're_ asking _me_?" I grinned, turning to face the horse. I'd had enough of running. If you wanted something done, you had to do it yourself.

"Easy, boy, easy…" I held out my arms to stop the creature from reaching Flynn, though the fire-eyed animal was persistent. I wouldn't stop. I kept soothing the horse, and finally, after Pascal scurried out from the collar of my cloak and glared angrily at the stallion, it stopped trying to get by.

"Sit…" I ordered the steed, which reluctantly slumped into a sitting position. I smiled, glad that I had finally been able to take action. "Good boy!" I squealed at the stallion, and then gave it a big hug around the neck. It finally seemed to calm down, though I had no clue why it had been so intent on reaching Flynn in the first place.

Suddenly, my hand touched something cold, and I looked down at the horse's neck to spot a regal looking medallion-type thing with a name inscribed on it.

"Maximus…" I read, smiling up at the horse. "Is that it?"

"Actually, you missed a few words at the bottom, Blondie," Flynn's voice sounded behind me. "Don't forget 'the Maniac'."

The horse gave an angry snort and glared at Flynn, and I had to stroke its neck and whisper in its ear before it finally calmed down again.

"Flynn, what did you do to this poor little guy to make him so upset?" I asked, once again giving the stallion a great big hug.

"Nothing! He's a bad horse!"

"You're one to talk!" I giggled.

Flynn shot me a confused look. "Are you calling me a _horse_?"

I smiled while stroking the horse's flank. "I _was_ saying that you were bad, but you said the horse thing, not me."

Flynn scoffed, and I could barely stifle a laugh on how much it sounded like a horse snort.

"Seriously, Flynn, why is he chasing you?"

"He's one of those palace horses," Flynn explained, obvious contempt in his voice. "You know, the ones that those guards were chasing us on."

I backed away from the horse a bit upon hearing that, but, looking up at the creature, realized that he was nothing but a big sweetheart, and went back to embracing him once again.

"Ok…I'm glad to see you like the deranged horse, Blondie, but we really should get going," Flynn said, clearing his throat.

I looked up at him, sadness in my eyes.

"Go?" I asked, "But…we just got here!"

"Yeah, and now that it's nighttime, all the stores are closing. Plus," he added, "all those guards and their obnoxious horses will be back on the street when it gets a little bit later."

Maximus looked at Flynn and gave him an indignant snort.

"My point exactly."

I looked wistfully down the alleyway in which we had come, and I already spotted a man coming out of his shop to put up a "closed" sign.

"Where will we go?" I asked.

"Not far," Flynn shrugged. "Just out a little ways in the forest. We have to come back tomorrow, after all."

"The lanterns!" I cheered. My birthday was tomorrow! I would finally get to see them up close!

"Yeah…sure…" Flynn didn't seem as thrilled about coming back. "So, let's get a move on."

But after Flynn took a step forward, Maximus darted past me and fixed himself firmly in front of Flynn, who stumbled back in surprise and fell against a gate.

"Uh…problem!"

"Hey, Maximus…" I said softly, stroking the horse's side once again. "Please…can you just let him go? Just until tomorrow night…"

Maximus didn't move.

"Look…" I tried to persuade him. "I know he's horrible, and vile, and—"

"Gee, thanks, Blondie."

I snapped my gaze at Flynn as if to tell him to be quiet, and then turned it softly back to Maximus.

"…And you're such a good horse for doing your job _so_ very well…Could you perhaps help me out, just for tomorrow? If you could, that would be just…perfect…Then, after that, you can chase each other to your heart's content."

"Oh, boy," Flynn rolled his eyes.

_Flynn, shut up!_ I wished I could speak to him telepathically. Either that, or give him a good whack upside the head with my frying pan.

Maximus looked at me sadly, and then glared back at Flynn once again, anger flooding his gaze.

"And…uh, it's also my birthday tomorrow…" I coughed, knowing that would finally get the horse.

It worked. Maximus let out a sigh and finally backed away, and Flynn irritably rose to his feet, dusting himself off.

"Thank you!" I smiled, giving the horse yet another hug. Finally, I was able to take action! If only Mother could see me now!

_Mother…_ The thought went through my head once again. Poor Mother…she was probably tearing her hair out looking for me…

"Come on, Blondie," Flynn's voice broke through my thoughts. He leaned down to add in a whisper, "before any other crazy animals show up and try to kill me."

I didn't reply, and just let Flynn lead me away. Maximus followed close behind us, but my thoughts weren't on him.

_I'm so sorry, Mother…_ I thought, wrapping my arms around myself. _So sorry…_

O-O-O-O-O

**(Flynn's P.O.V.)**

"Ok," I said, dusting my hands together. "This looks like a good spot."

"It looks the same as all the other spots in the forest!" Blondie objected.

"Picky, picky, picky."

The horse let out a snort.

Ugh…that horse. I was glad Blondie got me out of that situation, but now we were in a whole new one. Even though that crazy thing wasn't constantly trying to drag me to prison, now it was watching my every move, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I struck a nerve and it went berserk.

As Blondie sat down on a nearby log, I gathered a few sticks that were lying around and successfully managed to start a fire. Satisfied with my work, I plopped down on the opposite side of the log with a sigh, and for a moment, there was a silence—nothing but the crackling of the fire.

"Flynn…" Blondie spoke, and I turned to look at her. Her braided, flower adorned hair…her shining green eyes…she looked so stunning against the fire…

_Shut…up! _I scolded myself for about the millionth time. I was so busy reprimanding myself that I barely heard what she said next.

"Can—can I ask you something? Something…uh, it might be a little personal…"

I sighed. I already knew where she was going with this.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Your parents…how…how did you—"

"How did I lose them?"

Blondie nodded.

"I…uh…" I ran my fingers through my hair, memories threatening to consume me.

"You don't have to tell me," Blondie said quickly, but I shook my head.

"No, it's alright." I took in a deep breath, and finally began telling the story I hadn't told anyone in years.

"When I was six…I…uh, I lived in the Kingdom with my parents. We weren't the richest ones out there, but we certainly weren't the poorest. It…um…it was good. My mother sewed, and my father was a blacksmith, and that's how we made a living. Not so bad."

I realized I was sort of avoiding the topic, and I gripped my hands together, not able to look up.

"But, anyway…" Another deep breath. "…One day, there was, uh…there was a parade in town. Me, being only six, was dying to see it, and my parents wanted to take me, but they had just been…too busy that day. Instead, my uncle took me, and the parade lasted for quite a while, actually.

"When I got home…I…ugh…" I put my face in my hands, all the memories sweeping over me, drowning me…

The rubble—what was left of our home.

Them coming, taking me, kicking and screaming…

Never getting to say goodbye…

"There had been a fire," I explained. "There was nothing…nothing left of our house. At first, I didn't understand what had happened, but then they told me…they told me that my parents were never coming back. My uncle, not being able to afford another mouth to feed, took me, kicking and screaming and crying, to the local orphanage, and that was the last I saw of him. That was…the last I saw of anybody."

"Oh…Flynn…" Blondie said breathlessly, and I could see the tears brimming her eyes. I quickly rubbed at my own eye, feigning drowsiness but swiping away tears that threatened to spill over.

I was _not _going to cry.

"The orphanage was…" I shrugged, at a loss for words. "…Well, yeah. See, there was an old lady who owned it, and a few others who helped out from time to time, but of course, just a few people couldn't take care of _so_ many children. There wasn't really much food, and uh, it wasn't really the best conditions, but…you know…there was nothing we could do about it."

"Did you have any friends?"

"One," I chuckled, memories of my only friend through those hectic years flashing in my mind. "His name was Donovan—we called him Don. He was my roommate, and he was one of the only ones who didn't tease me for my name—" I flinched. Oh, gosh, what had I just said?

"Well, what's wrong with the name Flynn Rider?" Goldie asked, confused.

I sighed. Well, there goes my reputation. Better to just tell her now, instead of confuse her even more. I took in the biggest breath yet and finally confessed one of my biggest secrets.

"My name…isn't really Flynn Rider. It's…Eugene. Eugene Fitzherbert."

I shut my eyes, waiting for the laughter, waited for the teasing…

…it never came.

When I opened my eyes, Blondie was smiling at me, but not cruelly—actually, she looked really understanding.

"People teased you for that?" she asked. "I like Eugene Fitzherbert way better than Flynn Rider."

I chuckled. "You'd be the first, but…thanks."

"Why did you change your name to Flynn?"

So I told her about the book…The Adventures of Flynnegan Rider, and how I used to read it to all the younger kids, because, well, that guy was my hero.

"…and, you know, for a kid with nothing, that just…seemed like the better option." I finished, Blondie watching me fondly, engrossed in my story.

"And Don…" Rapunzel asked, "…What happened to him?"

Another sensitive subject. But I fought through it. "Well…he was lucky enough to be adopted. One day, a family came in, and they took Don as their own, and I…well, I was alone again."

"No one ever adopted you?" Blondie asked sadly.

I shook my head.

"I can't really blame 'em," I shrugged. "I was a mess. Besides, what kind of person could love a filthy little orphan thief? I bolted next chance I got, and decided to rough it out on the streets. I brushed up on my thieving skills, and just sort of began living off of it."

Blondie nodded slowly, taking it all in. Finally, she spoke.

"Well, if it means anything," she said quietly, "I think you're all right, Eugene."

My heart lifted at the sound of her calling me by my real name…I hadn't heard that in years. And to hear her say it so kindly…

"You're not too bad yourself…Rapunzel."

Blondie's gaze snapped on me.

"Did you just use my name?"

I shrugged.

"And…did you just _compliment_ me?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I scoffed. "Don't let it go to your head."

Blondie laughed, and I couldn't help but smile.

Then, once again, things fell silent.

"I, uh, I should go get some more firewood," I finally said, excusing myself to go off into the woods.

Once out of Blondie's sight, I slumped against a tree, my hands over my face.

What the heck had I just done?

This girl…this pain in the neck that I had just met that morning…I had already spilled out my whole life story to her?

And not just that, but my name?

My name?

This was pitiful. Why had I done that? Deep down, I knew that I was completely aware of the answer, but there was no way I was going to admit it.

_I liked her._

"Stop it, Eugene!" I said, slapping myself in the face. The use of my real name seemed strange even on my tongue, like a food that you hadn't eaten in a long time and then when you tried it years later it seemed kind of sour. But sooner or later…you grow to like it.

No. I would never grow to like Eugene Fitzherbert. I was _Flynn Rider._ That's what the wanted posters said, and that's what everyone knew me as. I wasn't going to lose the image I had placed in everyone's mind as the swashbuckling, handsome and skilled thief. I would now and forever be _Flynn Rider_.

But that girl…her reaction was completely unexpected. She was so understanding…and that was what made the difference. _She cared._ All throughout life, no one had cared about Eugene Fitzherbert. No one thought that he too, was a person, with dreams and hopes and a life to live.

But she cared.

As I gathered together a few sticks that lay scattered on the ground, I mentally argued with myself.

_She's a really nice person, and you know it._

_She's a nuisance and a pest. Once you get rid of her, everything will be fine again._

_Admit it—you like her, Eugene._

_Shut up! I do not!_

Finally, I stumbled back into the clearing, where Rapunzel was already grouping together all her hair to construct a bed. She had taken off her cloak to use as a blanket, and her eyes were already beginning to close with drowsiness after the adventure of the day.

"Yeah, you should get some rest, Blondie," I nodded. "Big day tomorrow."

Rapunzel sighed contentedly, already drifting off into sleep.

"Good night, Eugene."

I smiled down at the innocent young girl, whose breathing was already slowing with sleep. The frog-thing curled up next to her, and, after giving me a knowing smile, closed its eyes and fell into slumber as well.

I looked at Maximus, who glared at me angrily, but his eyes softened when he saw how I was looking at Rapunzel. Finally, even the horse closed his eyes, and drifted off into sleep.

Within a few minutes, I was the only one awake, sitting alone on the log, warming myself by the fire. I stared down at Rapunzel with a smile. I couldn't believe what I had gotten myself into, but to be honest, I was kind of thankful for it.

_You like her._ I thought once again.

_No, that's wrong…_ My other half argued, but then, it too, finally gave in.

_I don't like her...I love her__._

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**Ok, some of you are probably like, WHERE'S THE ACTION? It's coming...don't worry. I hope you liked this chapter though. Review...review! OR FACE THE BURLY MAN WITH THE TINY CERAMIC UNICORNS!**


	9. The Bookstore

**OMG! THIS CHAPTER IS SO LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG! Lol. But it was really interesting to write!**

**I'm actually pretty proud of this chapter...in a way...sort of. This is where it starts getting good. I think. You know what will make me really happy? Yes...cookies are nice, but, uh, I meant **

**reviews. Yeah. You have five choices for your review prizes:**

**1. Flynn Hug**

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**All good choices, don't you think?**

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**Ok, enough randomness. Let's get down to business.**

**I don't own Tangled, but desperate times call for desperate measures...(Zips up ninja costume) "LET'S DO THIS!"**

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"Come on, Eugene!" I cheered, my bare feet pounding on the cobblestone sidewalk. My golden hair, still braided, flew out behind me as I ran, and I could hear Flynn—or rather, Eugene—trying his best to keep up with me as I raced down the street, flying past store windows, taking in everything. I could also hear Maximus's hooves against the ground as I ran, which meant I must be going pretty fast. I didn't care. The pure joy of the moment was driving me.

It was the next day, and we were finally back in the Kingdom, and I was ecstatic at the sight of all the new and wonderful things Corona had to offer. So many things I had never experienced before…smelling the delicious scent of warm bread drifting from the bakery, hearing the laughter of children as they ran joyously through the streets, and of course, seeing the stores. Everywhere…they were everywhere. Stores selling this, and that, and pretty much everything you could imagine…

And that wasn't even the best part.

I was going to get to see the lanterns.

Tonight.

A dream I had yearned for since my childhood, I would finally get to live out, and I was _so_ excited. I couldn't believe that I had actually made it!

Still, I couldn't help think of Mother, and what she had said about the world. She had told me it was such a cruel place, but still, I hadn't seen a sign of anything she had warned me about.

Ruffians and thugs? Hadn't seen any.

Poison ivy? Quicksand? Nope.

Cannibals and snakes? None so far.

The plague? No sign of it.

Large bugs? Only the ones Pascal had eaten.

And men with pointy teeth? Well, Eugene had been the only man I had met, and he certainly didn't have pointy teeth. In fact, his teeth were…nice.

Now that I had come to know him a little bit better…everything about him was nice.

I had told Eugene "thank you," but words couldn't even express how grateful I was. I wasn't sure if we were still supposed to be enemies…to tell the truth, I was kind of growing to like him.

But, all that aside, I decided to focus on the thrill of the moment. I zipped past the shops, marveling in awe at everything around me. There was a shop selling flowers to my left, another that sold exotic cheeses on my right.

And then I saw it.

The bookstore.

"Eugene!" I squealed, unable to contain my excitement. "There's a _bookstore_?"

Eugene chuckled. "Yeah, Blondie, told you they had everything."

"Can we go? Please? Please? _Please_?" I knew I sounded like a little child right then, but I didn't care. A bookstore! A store…that sold books! That was just amazing!

Eugene shrugged. "Well, I don't see why not."

Before Eugene had even finished the sentence I had burst through the door, and I was met with the most astonishing sight yet.

Row after row of books…they all lined the walls, nearly touching the ceiling. And if that wasn't enough, there were even small sets of bookcases set in various places on the ground, just filled with books of all colors and sizes. Overjoyed, I grabbed one—I didn't even bother to look at the cover—plopped down on my stomach, and began to read.

I heard the jingle of the bell that signified someone had entered, and a second later, Eugene was at my side.

"Whatcha got there?" he asked.

I hadn't even checked. Quickly, I looked at the cover and dove back into the story.

"_The Frog Prince_, apparently," I answered.

Eugene looked at Pascal and raised his eyebrows. "I can see why you like it so much."

Pascal replied by sticking his tongue out at the man.

"I haven't heard that one in a while," Eugene chuckled, he, too, sitting down on the ground. "Have you read it before?"

I shook my head. "I've only read three books in my life."

Eugene's eyes grew huge. "Wait, w-w-what? Th-three books? That's it?"

I nodded vigorously, my eyes not leaving the book. I waved my hand at him.

"Yes, now, shh! I'm reading!"

Eugene chuckled again, and even as I read, I could feel him looking over my shoulder.

The book was short, and I was finished rather quickly, but it was a spectacular story! I would have to read it again. Not even bothering to put it back on the shelf, I scrambled to my feet, going to search for yet another book. But this time, I didn't look on the small bookcases. Instead, I scurried up the rolling ladder on the wall and browsed the huge selection up on the shelves, eager to find something just as beautiful as that Frog Prince story.

I pulled out novel after novel, book after book, story after story, and they all seemed too good to put down! It would be an impossible decision deciding what to read next. Within a few minutes I was precariously grasping onto the ladder with only my hair, using one arm to carry a huge stack of books and the other to grab them lightning quick.

_Cinderella_, _How to Chart Stars_, _The History of Corona_, _The Ugly Duckling_…

_The Adventures of Flynnegan Rider_.

I gasped in shock, and in the process, dropped all the books I had been carrying all over the ground. The shopkeeper gave me a glare, but looked away when Eugene swooped in and gathered them all together.

"Hey, Blondie," he called up, "be careful up there!"

I barely heard him. I stared at the dusty brown cover, which had the title etched in golden lettering. I opened the aged pages and flipped through the book, and sure enough, there it was.

As quick as I could, I untied my hair from the ladder and practically flew down, racing over to Eugene.

"Eugene! Eugene!" I called, and then suddenly quieted myself when I remembered this was a bookstore. "Eugene, look."

Eugene, who had just finished stacking up all the books I had dropped, whirled around to face me, and then simply chuckled—again—though I could tell by the look on his face that even _he_ was astonished.

"Well, what do you know," he said, gently running his finger down the spine of the book. "Where did you find this?"

"On the shelf. Read," I commanded, shoving the book in his face.

"Hey, Blondie, watch the nose," Eugene said, pushing the book away. "And besides, I can't—"

"Read," I demanded again. He wasn't going to get out of this one. "Read it to me, _please_, Eugene! You said you read it to the others at the orphanage…"

"That was different, and—"

"Read," that seemed to be the only word in my vocabulary.

Finally, Eugene let out a defeated sigh and took the book from me, adjusting himself on the floor.

"Fine," he grumped, "but you asked for it!"

Making sure I was comfortable, I lay on my stomach, my head settled contentedly over my folded arms. Even Pascal appeared, turning a delighted shade of pink.

"Alright, here we go," Eugene sighed, flipping through the book. Finally, he stopped on a page, a grin on his face. "Oh, I remember this one. This used to be one of my favorites."

Eugene cleared his throat and began to read.

"_Flynnegan was flying—soaring through the air, the wind flying through his unruly hair and sending his heart into a furious rhythm. Within a few seconds, his boots once again met the bare earth, and he took off running. The wind and rain pounded against him—the elements were not in his favor, and as if to emphasize this, a crack of lightning ignited the sky._

_"He knew that his copious fortune was envied by many a man, and he knew, one of these days, greed would get the best of his foes and they would be after his wealth. He knew it would happen, someday._

_"He just never imagined the one after him would be his own brother._

_"As much as Flynnegan hated to admit it, Percy was a worthy opponent, and that was shown by Percy's sheer determination to eliminate his brother. As the wind and rain and thunder raged unmercifully, Percy charged on, intent on claiming the riches that his covetous soul had been so eager to obtain._

_"But Flynnegan was just as indomitable, if not more so, and there was no way he would allow his brother to succeed in disposing of him. Quick as a flash, he leapt onto a vine, and once again, felt himself soaring into the air…"_

I watched, eyes wide, engrossed in the story, as Eugene described the adventures of the man whom he had lionized so much as a child. I could see why he had adored him so much—Flynnegan was dashing, and brave, and cunning…and as Eugene read on I also was able to pick out some of the traits in this hero that I had seen in the thief sitting right across from me.

There was something about the way Eugene read…with so much passion and emotion, that made me feel like I was in a completely different world. When I was younger, and Mother read to me, she had never read like this. Eugene's way of speaking was so powerful, and so engaging, that I closed my eyes and let myself be embraced by the words. I could see it all…the chase scenes, the close encounters, and the final scene where Flynnegan saved his brother from an untimely fate and changed his whole view on everything…it was all so amazing.

"…_at least, for another day._" Eugene finished, shutting the book. My eyes flew open, my dreamland disturbed.

"No, don't stop!" I begged. "Read another one."

Eugene opened the book and smiled down at me. "Pretty good book, huh?"

"Don't talk. Read."

With another sigh, Eugene flipped through the pages once again, and landed upon another story.

"_Never had Flynnegan Rider felt so alive than when he was so close to death…"_

Once again I was lost in the tale, being swept away by Eugene's voice. The words became sentences, the sentences paragraphs, and the paragraphs a full story that whisked me away to the world of Flynnegan Rider himself…

But when I visualized this swashbuckling hero, I did not see him, but Eugene.

It was Eugene that I saw sailing across the seas on a brand new adventure. It was him that I saw racing through the forest, conquering his foes, both old and new. It was him I saw as, well…the hero.

After Eugene finished the next story, I immediately requested another, and the cycle went on, to the point where I didn't even have to ask anymore; Eugene would just continue.

I was lost in the world of this book…no longer was I lying in the bookstore, but now, I was free, conquering things I had never imagined, running alongside the hero, and living the adventure of a lifetime. I wondered if this is how Eugene felt as a child when reading this book.

Suddenly, my eyes flew open as I heard the slam of the book, and I looked up to see Eugene rising to his feet.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Why did you stop?"

"It's all finished, Blondie," Eugene chuckled. "That was the last story."

"You read the _whole_ book?" I asked in amazement, and then I looked outside the window. The midmorning haze was gone and now replaced with the brightness of the afternoon sun. We had been there for hours.

"Check one more time," I asked, longing for just one more story. "See if there are any more. Maybe one you missed. Please, Eugene."

Eugene looked off to the side, almost as if he was deep in thought, and then opened the book again, flipping through the pages.

"You were right," he nodded, pointing to a page. "I must have missed this one."

My heart soared, so glad that I would be able to have one more chance to escape into the amazing world of Flynnegan Rider.

Eugene sat down in front of me, and I scooted over beside him, as close as I dared to get. I wanted to take in every word of this.

"_Flynnegan Rider had been a ladies' man from the start, but everything changed when he met Jessica."_

My eyes widened. Jessica? Who was that? This story sounded different from the others—I couldn't wait to hear more.

"_Flynnegan had never meant to find her, at all, in fact. It had happened upon a misunderstanding. But that misunderstanding turned into something greater than either of them had ever imagined."_

I listened, breathtaken, as Eugene read the story. Everything about this story was beautiful…it was no doubt my favorite of them all. Flynnegan, who had ended up in the forest after being chased by one of his old foes, the Prince of Calavar, was marooned with nothing but his trusty bow and arrow. However, after wandering into an abandoned cave and losing his weapon, he was attacked by a ferocious lion, only to be saved by a mysterious girl named Jessica. Eugene described her so beautifully—she had long, flowing brown hair, an angel-like face, and one of the most breathtaking figures Flynnegan had ever seen. However, Jessica was suspicious of this intruder, and, after recovering his treasured bow and arrow, refused to return it unless he did her a favor: help her return home to the kingdom. Flynnegan, being the ladies man that he "thinks" he is, tried to sweep her off her feet with a few snazzy lines, to no avail. Finally, Flynnegan reluctantly agreed, at first, not even able to stand this girl. But soon, her optimism, kindness, and beauty get the best of even stubborn Flynnegan Rider, and he begins to admit to himself that he really has feelings for her. After an adventurous journey through the forest, including a rematch with the Prince, Flynnegan finally is able to escort Jessica to the kingdom, where he confesses his love for her. She says she loves him as well, and the two are married, the bow forgotten. For the first time, Flynnegan has found something more important, and now he realizes that love isn't really so bad.

Even for someone like him.

The story put a smile on my face and sent my heart soaring. I was able to visualize this story more than any of the others, and it was truly spectacular. Undoubtedly, my favorite of them all. I was so glad that Eugene went back and looked in the book—I would have been so upset if I knew I missed a gem like that.

"That was so amazing…" I breathed, rising to my feet. "Thanks, Eugene."

Eugene grinned. "My pleasure—brought back a lot of old memories, that's for sure."

I felt a bit timid as I asked the next question, because I felt I had asked so much from Eugene already. But I couldn't help it. Now that I was going back to the tower, I needed something like that…like Flynnegan Rider…to get me through the lonely days.

"Eugene…?" I asked quietly. "Do you think I could…um…" I remembered what Mother said about mumbling and quickly shook my head. "Can I buy that book?"

Eugene looked at me curiously, and then started digging in his pocket. "Liked it that much, huh?"

I immediately felt guilty for asking for more than I needed. "I'm sorry for asking you so much, but—"

"Don't be," Eugene shrugged, pulling some coins out of his pocket and counting them. "It's a good book."

"Oh, it's _incredible_!" I cheered, and I couldn't help but spin around, not caring we were in a bookstore. "My favorite one was the one where Flynnegan met Jessica."

Eugene stopped, mid-count, and looked at me with a smile.

"You liked that one, huh?"

I nodded.

"Well, here you go," he chuckled, dropping the coins in my open palm. "Hope you enjoy the book."

"Thank you!" I squealed, grabbing the book from him and running up to the counter. I couldn't believe it! I had _The Adventures of Flynnegan Rider_!

After paying for the book, I clutched it tightly, walking to the door where Eugene was waiting for me.

"You ready to go?" he asked, holding the door open for me.

"Mmm hmm!" I nodded, clutching the book even tighter. The bookstore had been amazing, but now I was ready to see everything _else_ the Kingdom had to offer…if everything was as wonderful as the bookstore had been, this day would be absolutely flawless.

Especially since Eugene was there.

The second we stepped out the door, we were met by a frantic neigh from Maximus, whom Eugene had left outside. Before I could respond, I felt a huge force yank me back by the shoulders, and the book fell from my hands. I heard Eugene yell out as he was yanked backwards as well, but though the grip on my shoulders was loosened, I watched in horror as Eugene was forced to the ground by a swarm of guards—tons of them—who mercilessly shoved him to his knees, though Eugene struggled as much as he could, trying to get free. I looked over my shoulder with a gasp to spot the guard who had yanked me back, and I ripped away from him.

"We got him, men!" I heard one cheer. "We finally caught the _great_ Flynn Rider!"

"What are you doing?" I cried. "Let him go!"

"Miss, are you aware that this man is a thief?" the guard who had grabbed me blocked me protectively from Eugene, but I jerked away from him again, desperately trying to reach the man who was being so viciously hauled away.

"I know, but—" I tried my best to get through, but the guard held me back. I watched, eyes wide with terror, as the other guards showed no mercy in restraining Eugene, even daring to give him a nasty slap across the face.

"No!" I screamed, petrified. "No, please, let him go! Stop! Eugene!"

Even Maximus tried to keep the guards away from Eugene, but he was unsuccessful, as even more guards rushed in and restrained Maximus, a feat in which I didn't even know was possible.

"Ugh—Hey!" Eugene tried to force his way free with all his might, and I was trying frantically to get past the one guard blocking me from him. Pascal was letting out angry squeaks, and Maximus kept rearing up angrily, to no avail. The scene was pure pandemonium. In fact, a huge crowd had gathered around to watch the chaotic sight.

The infamous Flynn Rider had finally been captured.

A tall guard with a mustache—looking, in a way, more prestigious than the others—dismounted his horse and strode over to Eugene, who shot him an angry glare. The guards gave Eugene a final shove that forced him to his knees once again, and Eugene stared up, fire in his eyes.

"Hello, _Rider,_" the guard spat, "Long time, no see."

"I see you just couldn't bear to be without me, Captain," Eugene said icily.

"Scoff all you want, Rider…" the guard—the Captain, more specifically—replied, harshly gripping Eugene's vest. "You won't be laughing for long."

"You might want to check your hearing," Eugene retaliated, "because I obviously wasn't laughing."

The Captain's face melted into a look of rage, and before I could react, he drew back his fist and slammed it against Eugene's face with a huge _CRACK,_ and I could only scream as Eugene was thrown to the ground by the punch and weakly rose to all fours, a bruise already beginning to appear on his handsome face.

"Stop!" I cried out, summoning all my strength and bursting past the guard trying to hold me back. I rushed over to Eugene and held his bruised face in my own, and I instantly felt myself being yanked away from him once again.

"Eugene!" I screamed, kicking my legs, trying to free myself. "Eugene! No!"

"Who is_ she_?" the Captain demanded to know, as the guards once again swooped in to restrain Eugene, who for once, was too weak to do anything.

"I'm his _friend_," I said sternly, glaring at the Captain. "And I demand you let him go!"

"I'm sorry, miss," the Captain apologized, though he didn't look sorry at all. "But this criminal is going to get the punishment he deserves."

My stomach sank at the way he said that, and my voice came out as barely louder than a whisper.

"W—what punishment?"

"What else?" the Captain sneered, smiling down menacingly at the defeated young man on the ground.

"…Death, of course."

* * *

**CUE SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC!**

**Lol...but anyway-I'm not sure if Jessica was a name back then, but I like it.**

**Oh, and I know I spelled Flynnegan wrong-I am aware! I think it's spelled with an "i"...but I spelled it like that in the last chapter, so...and my spell check told me like every way possible was wrong. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands! :-) Just letting you know...**

**Sorry for the sort of cliff hanger ending. More soon!**


	10. More than a Thief

**EEPERS!**

**Sorry for the cliffhanger back there...I always tend to do that, and I never knew how torturous it was until I read one myself. GAH! But hopefully this update came quickly enough.**

**Hey-After I finish this story, there's a poll up on my profile page. I'm planning on doing a one-shot after this, but I'm not sure which one, so I'm going to let you guys decide which one you like best. Sound good? :-)**

**As promised, *Distributes Prizes* Awwww...everyone's all huggy! And pie...pie is good.**

**Please review if you liked this chapter, or hated it, or sorta kinda liked it, or sorta kinda hated it! Just review it! I need to know! Reviews make my heart sing! (I See the Light, more specifically :-) )**

**Thanks everyone!**

**I dost not owneth Tangled...eth.**

* * *

_"…Death, of course…"_

_"…Death, of course…"_

_"…Death, of course…"_

The Captain's words echoed through my aching skull, swirling in my mind due to the dizziness driven upon me from his vicious punch. Before I knew it, I could hear distorted screams and yells and pure chaos, and I looked up fuzzily to spot Rapunzel shrieking, hysterically trying to break free of the guard that restrained her.

"No! No, you can't kill him! No, please! Eugene! EUGENE!"

My mind was swimming; overwhelmed by everything that had just occurred. Both my heart and head pounded, and I had to close my eyes and take deep breaths to try my best and sweep away the nausea. But through all the foggy thoughts and mangled voices, one thought penetrated through them all.

I was going to die.

All these years I had managed to get past the law, escaping death, with plenty of near misses along the way. In fact, I had gotten so good at escapes that I had never worried at all about being caught—facing what I knew I was in for all along.

"Rapunzel…" I called weakly, and then I took in a greedy gulp of air and tried again, this time more forcefully. "Rapunzel!" I began struggling with every last ounce of strength lingering in me. I had to reach her!

"Eugene! No—Don't go!"

"Rapun—Agh!" My call was cut off by a forceful hand that shoved my head down.

"Face it, Rider," I heard a voice growl behind me, "it's over. Let's go."

"No! Please!" I could hear Rapunzel's heartbroken screams as the guards began to drag me away, and if I heard correctly, it sounded as if she was crying.

I didn't give up…after hearing that girl so desperate to save me…I tried my hardest to break free, to no avail. I was overpowered.

It really was over.

"Go, Blondie!" I called out, not even able to believe what I was saying. "Go on! Get out of here! Forget about me!"

"But—Eugene!" I lost sight of her as yet another guard swooped in to restrain her, and I heard another tearful shriek rip from the girl I had come to care about. "EUGENE! NO!"

"Rapunzel—just go!" I yelled out, wincing as a hand grabbed my hair and yanked me backwards. I could feel the cold metal cuffs being snapped around my wrists, and my will to escape began to ebb away, realizing the hopelessness of the situation.

All eyes were on me as I was being led to my doom.

To my demise.

To the noose.

O-O-O-O-O

**(Rapunzel's P.O.V.)**

"Stop! _PLEASE!_" I begged, clawing against the guards, unsuccessfully trying to break through. I swooped down, picked up the Flynnegan Rider book, and tried slamming it against my blockade, to no avail. They weren't even fazed. I didn't give up. "Let him _go_! EUGENE!"

A guard stepped forward and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Madam, I'm going to have to ask you to—"

"Don't ask me _anything_!" I shrieked, whirling around to face him. My braided hair was a disheveled mess, and the flowers that were previously in my golden hair were beginning to flutter to the ground. I knew my gaze would be full of rage and tears, and I was a complete wreck, but I didn't care. "Where are you taking him?"

"…The dungeons, Miss…" the guard eyed me curiously, as if I should have known that. "You know, at the castle."

The castle! Images of that huge tower Eugene and I had seen in the tree flashed in my brain. Already, Eugene was beginning to be dragged in that direction, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before those guards reached their location…and who knows how much more they would abuse Eugene before they got there?

"Take me there…please," I begged, staring tearfully into the guard's stern eyes. "I have to go. I have to fix things, before it's too late!"

"Miss, I—"

"_Please_!" I pleaded again; frightened that every second wasted here would be one closer to Eugene's demise.

After a moment of deliberation, the guard finally nodded, his eyes softening. "Alright."

He turned into his comrades, who stood solidly in a position of attention.

"Go with the others," he commanded with a nod. "I will escort the girl to the castle."

I watched, my heart sinking, as the other two guards who had been restraining me obeyed with a salute and ran over to where Eugene was being wrestled towards the castle. I wondered if I had just sent two more torturers over to his side.

Already, the crowd was beginning to trickle away, following the group of authorities who had finally apprehended the vile thief that had terrorized them for so long. But he wasn't a vile thief to me.

Eugene was my friend.

"Come on," the guard nodded, looking at me with a hint of sympathy. He placed a kind hand on my shoulder, and this time, I didn't fight him. He was taking me where I needed to go. Instead, I clutched my book in my arms and somehow managed to put one foot in front of the other, following the huge bunch of guards leading Flynn Rider—_my_ Eugene Fitzherbert—to his doom.

Every time they struck Eugene—which was quite often—I had to resist the urge to scream and run to his side, knowing that that could jeopardize my chances of making it to the castle and possibly saving his life.

I knew Eugene was a thief, but I didn't think _at all_ that he deserved a punishment so severe. I couldn't bear to let him go, and I wasn't planning to. I was going to speak with who was in charge—the King and Queen, I recalled Eugene saying—and stop this at once. They could _not_ take him. Deep down inside, I knew he didn't deserve this, and after he explained his saddening childhood to me, I finally understood that being a thief had not been his first choice of how to live his life—those were just the cards that were dealt. And now…he was going to die for that?

I took in a breath of air, still reeling over everything that had just happened. I heard a "clip-clop" noise next to me, and looked to my left to spot Maximus at my side, sadly looking at me. Pascal was perched on my shoulder as well, and he was a depressing shade of blue and gazed up at me with sorrow-filled, sympathetic eyes.

"I know, guys," I said quietly, offering Pascal my finger and leaning against Maximus's side as we walked. "I have to stop this."

This was not what I had in mind for my birthday at all. True, I was going to the castle, which was something I had wanted to do, but I just wished it was under much better circumstances.

_Don't worry, Eugene…_ I said in my mind, wishing so badly that the battered man could hear me. _I'm going to make things right. I promise._

_And when I make a promise, I never, _ever_ break that promise._

O-O-O-O-O

**(Still Rapunzel's P.O.V…)**

I admit, I was terrified.

The castle was positively huge…the biggest tower I had ever seen in my entire life. It looked so regal…nearly touching the sky, it seemed; with pure white marble walls and a huge drawbridge that led to the enormous entrance door. The sight was intimidating, but I had to be brave.

For Eugene's sake.

The guard who escorted me, though he was a nice man, had no choice but to wait until Eugene was completely locked up in the prisons before he allowed my entrance in the castle. I understood why this was—they couldn't risk me helping him escape once we were inside the palace. However, I had no clue when they planned to execute Eugene, and every second I had to wait to see him seemed like a year wasted.

I clutched onto Maximus as the drawbridge was lowered, holding my breath. Would I be able to do this? I was, after all, not even _from_ the Kingdom—how on earth was I to persuade the King and Queen to let a criminal loose? I had no clue what Eugene had done in the past to be sentenced to something as brutal as death, but it must have been some pretty bad stuff. The more I thought about it, the more unlikely it seemed, but I had to try. I had made a promise.

I heard the clanging of the drawbridge chains finally cease, and the bridge hit the stone street just a few feet in front of me.

"Come on," the guard nodded, giving me a soft pat on the back to urge me forward. I nodded, reluctantly dropping my arm from the secure location of Maximus's neck as the guard and I stepped across the drawbridge. My heart felt as if it was about to burst from my chest, and I quickly tried as best I could to straighten up my hair, which was still braided, but frizzy and unkempt after all the stress of what had just happened. I needed to look nice in the presence of royalty.

Taking in a deep breath to calm my nerves, I watched in awe as the huge castle doors were opened, and before me was the most magnificent room I had ever seen.

The room was massive; A huge purple carpet covered the white marble floor, bearing a gorgeous yellow flower, just as the kingdom flags Eugene and I had seen around the Kingdom did. A stunning crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the walls were decorated with paintings of winding ivy and flowers, something that completely took my breath away. Two marble staircases wound up to the same second floor, where an entrance to a long corridor was located. In front of that corridor were two very elegantly dressed people—a man and a woman—and I recognized them from the mural I had seen out on the street.

It was none other than the King and Queen themselves.

I saw the guard bow in respect, and I did the same.

"Franklin," the King addressed my escort with a nod, and he quickly stood up straight, and I quickly copied his actions, feeling so out of place. I was in front of the _king and queen of Corona_! I felt butterflies flutter in my stomach with every breath I took, but I remembered my promise to Eugene and instantly felt a spark of bravery surging through me.

"Your highnesses," the guard, Franklin, said respectfully. "This young lady," I felt my cheeks go red as he pointed at me, "has requested to see you concerning the arrest of Flynn Rider."

I immediately felt all eyes on me, and I felt like a tiny bug surrounded by a million Pascals.

"Flynn Rider?" the Queen asked curiously, descending down the staircase. "My dear…has he done something to you?"

I immediately shook my head. "No—and that's what I've come here to say. He's _not_ as bad as everyone thinks! He doesn't deserve this!"

The Queen was soon at eye level with me, and the King followed close behind. The Queen laid a soothing hand on my shoulder, and I gazed pleadingly into her eyes, which were the exact jade green hue as mine. Just because of that, I felt a connection to her, and prayed that I would be able to persuade her to release Eugene.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," she said, looking a bit confused. "We've been trying to catch Flynn Rider for…" she shook her head in disbelief. "I don't even remember how long. And now…Dear, do you realize how much he has stolen in this Kingdom alone? He's robbed peasants, royalty…"

"He stole our daughter's crown," the King spoke up, sorrow in his eyes. I could see the tears threatening to brim over, and I wondered what was making his so depressed. I shook my head. It was not my place to ask.

"But does he deserve to _die?_" I asked painfully. "With all due respect, your majesties, you don't know…what he's been through…" I winced, thinking of all the terrible memories Eugene had shared with me. "Euge—Flynn is my friend, and I can't let him die. _Please…_"

The Queen looked at me, sincerely sympathetic.

"Your friend?"

I nodded. "_Please…_he's all I have."

And that was true; I was lost, away from home…I had no clue where my mother was, or my tower. Sure, I had Pascal, but Eugene had been my only real _human_ friend, well, _ever_. And to think, he had trusted me enough to reveal his past to me, and cared about me enough to try and help me live out my dream of seeing the lanterns. I knew it had initially been for the satchel, but now…it just seemed like there was something different…something more.

The King stepped forward. "What is your name?"

"Rapunzel," I answered.

The Queen's eyes widened when she heard the name, but then she shook her head.

"Where are you from, Rapunzel?" she asked.

"Not from here," I answered vaguely, not in a hurry to reveal my tower's location to strangers, even if they _were_ the King and Queen.

"I see…" the Queen gazed at me sadly and grasped my hand. "Rapunzel…I'm so sorry…but Flynn Rider's fate had been decided by the Royal Council long ago…and I cannot change what has been decided…"

No. No, I couldn't be hearing this. I looked at the King hopefully, but he just gazed at me, obviously pained. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.

"I can't let him die…" I choked, rubbing at my teary eyes. "Please…"

The King and Queen gazed at me sadly, but the look in their eyes told me there was no hope. It seemed as if they genuinely wanted to change things, but it was out of their control. Finally, I took in a deep sigh.

"Can I at least see him? Please? Tell him…" I whispered out the wretched words. "…Tell him goodbye?"

"No commoner has ever asked to see a criminal before…" the King trailed off, worrying me. But then he looked back at me with a nod. "Wait here, please."

With a tearful nod, I watched as the King and Queen went through a wide arch located under the location where the staircase met, and saw them disappear down a hall. The guard, Franklin, followed close behind them, and I realized that then, I was alone.

Lonely and scared for Eugene's fate, I slumped breathlessly into a chair that I spotted, picked up my book, and began to thumb through it. I needed to read—escape to the world of Flynnegan Rider once again…the only fantasy where I could escape from this madness. More specifically, I needed to read about Flynnegan and Jessica…I needed to submerge myself in that beauty and let myself be carried away into that wonderful place…

But as I flipped through the book, I saw many stories, all of which I recognized from the bookstore earlier that morning. However, there was no sign of my favorite story. I flipped through the front of the novel, anxiously scanning the table of contents.

_The Beginning of the End…_

…_Sea and Shore…_

…_The Golden Bow…_

Nothing about a love, nothing about Jessica. I was utterly confused. Where on earth was it? I read the contents again, to no avail. I began looking through the book again, a little bit more carefully this time. Perhaps I had missed it?

"Rapunzel?" the Queen's soft voice made my head jerk up, and I looked to see her standing with the King in the room once again. "Would you like to see Flynn?"

I didn't even have to answer that. I leapt up from the chair, following close behind the King and Queen as they led me down the hall towards the prisons. I began sorting through all my thoughts, though it wasn't easy penetrating through the jumbled mess that fogged up my mind. What would I say to Eugene? What would he say to me? How was I going to save him?

What if…I couldn't?

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**MORE SOON!**

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	11. Trapped

**Hello EVERYBODY!**

**Ok, here's chapter 11! Back to Eugene's P.O.V.! (Stop hogging the spotlight, Rapunzel! lol)**

**Poor Eugene...I honestly have no clue how I'm going to end this...I _do_ have a bit of an evil side at times...muahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHA! Oops...did I say that out loud?**

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**1. Tangled**

**2. Rapunzel**

**3. Flynn**

**4. Pascal**

**5. ANYTHING ELSE AWESOME!**

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What had I gotten myself into?

As I was forced down the long, dark halls of the dungeon, I didn't even know what to think. I hadn't sorted in my mind what I would do if I was ever caught, because I was sure I never would be.

Yet, here I was.

The guards showed absolutely no gentleness as they harshly removed the chains, shoved me into the cell, and slammed the bars shut. I didn't expect them to give me any special treatment—after all, they had been after me for as long as I could remember…and now that they had caught me, I was sure they wanted to repay me for all the trouble I put them through. Still, I was going to die, so what was the point?

I was going to die.

Going to _die_.

The realization slammed against me like a brick, and I dropped onto the cold stone floor, stunned.

My life was going to end. Flynn Rider would be no more.

Or rather, Eugene Fitzherbert would be no more.

That's right…I wasn't Flynn Rider any more, in my head. I was Eugene Fitzherbert once again. In the past day and a half, _everything_ had changed. _Everything_. And I knew exactly why.

Rapunzel.

I was falling for that girl—no, scratch that—I had already fallen. Hard. And I knew it, as much as I hated to admit it. Seeing her face when we walked the streets of Corona…and when I read that Flynnegan Rider book to her in the bookstore…that smile on her face made me feel so…

So…

Meaningful.

For years, I had been the scum of the earth; at first, a useless orphan, and then, a meddling thief. But now, this girl…Rapunzel…she saw something in me. She wanted me to be with her, and she wanted to share her experiences…with me. She had even tried to rescue me when I was being arrested…She cared about me…something I hadn't felt anyone had done since I was young.

And I couldn't thank her enough for that.

Still, there was nothing she could do here—in a cold, dark, vermin-infested cell with no escape. I wondered where she was now…probably lost and alone, for sure. Now how would she get home?

I rose to my feet, unable to contain myself any more. I walked over to the small window on the left-hand wall and slammed my head against the bars, enraged with myself. A thought flashed in my mind; If Rapunzel never had asked me to take her to the Kingdom…

I shook my head, ridding myself of the notion. There was no way I could blame her…she had, after all, saved my life when we were being chased by those morons back in the forest. I knew, whatever trouble I was in, it wasn't her fault. She never meant for this to happen.

Still, I knew, with the coming dawn came my impending death. While I was being driven towards the prisons earlier, I had been informed that I would be hanged early the next morning; Information I was sure the guards had been happy to let me know.

I had never thought much about death—usually because I lived right in the adventure of the moment, and had the mindset that someday, I would be a wealthy man of my own destiny. Death never seemed to come up in what I had planned for my future, but now...a shaking hand rose to my throat. I admit it, I was afraid. Afraid of the unknown.

I thought of the final hours…the last breaths I would take on this earth. I thought about all I had to live for…or had wanted to live for…and my heart sank. How could this be? What…what would death be like? Leaving this world and falling into the dark, eternal abyss of no return…of nothingness. Life was everything I knew…and death…

I just couldn't believe it had come to this.

Suddenly, I heard a quiet voice that made my head jerk to the side. I watched, fascinated, as I saw none other than the King and Queen themselves walking down the dark hall of the prisons, and I was confused at why the royal rulers would be here—lowering themselves to venture into such a repulsive place as this.

I sank into the shadows of my cell so they wouldn't see that I was, well, spying on them, and then watched intently as the two royal figures walked over to the guard stationed in front of my cell.

The guard gave a respectful bow, "Your majesties."

The Queen lowered her voice and took the guard aside, and right then, I began planning some way of escape. While the guard was distracted, perhaps I could…

But before I could come up with anything, the King and Queen finished speaking to the guard and he returned to his post, shooting me a warning glare that clearly said, "Don't even think about it."

With a sigh, I slumped back against the wall as the King and Queen left. Whatever had been said obviously wasn't about me, because no one told me anything. Not that they would, anyway. I was a _thief_. In their eyes, I deserved nothing. Nothing but contempt.

I rubbed the bruise on my face with a wince, remembering the nasty blow I had received from the Captain. It was a wonder he hadn't broken my jaw, the strike had been so intense. I wondered how much more I would have to endure before it was all over. The guards finally had chance to get back at their old foe, and I was sure they weren't going to waste a minute of it.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming down the hall once again, and I looked up to see who else had ventured into the darkness of the prisons. Another criminal arrested, perhaps?

But I watched, eyes wide, as I saw, not a new prisoner, but Rapunzel…Her braided golden hair was disheveled and her eyes were brimming with tears, but she strode with an air of confidence that showed she was on a mission. Two guards were at her side, and my heart froze as they stopped in front of my cell, the metal keys rattling against the bars as they unlocked the door.

The bars slid open, and Rapunzel's green eyes gazed into mine.

It was her.

"Eugene!" she cried out, rushing towards me. Immediately she was knelt down at my side, examining the injury on my face. "Eugene, oh…are you alright?"

"More or less," I shrugged it off, not wanting to worry her. But I could definitely tell she was still terrified after hearing of my decided fate. "How did you get here?"

"I had to see you," she answered, tenderly running her small little hand over the bruise. Despite the pain, feeling her hand against my skin was amazing. Her touch felt unbelievable…I never wanted her to leave. "I can't believe they did this…"

Once again, I tried to make light of the situation. "I've been through worse. A punch in the face isn't going to keep me down."

"But, Eugene…" Rapunzel trailed off, and I could see the tears once again threatening to fall from her eyes. The sight of her so crestfallen broke my heart.

"Hey, Blondie, don't cry…" I soothed, tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. "It's alright."

"No, it's not," she sniffed, shaking her head fiercely. "No—Eugene…I can't stop them! They won't let me…I—I can't just…"

"Rapunzel…"

"You can't _die_, Eugene!"

The words burst from her and echoed throughout the whole entire dungeon, and for a while, no one said a word. Rapunzel's body just shook with silent sobs, and I saw the frog scuttle out from behind her hair and give her a reassuring pat on the cheek. I longed to wrap my arms around her, tell her it was going to be ok, but something was holding me back. Besides, I had to face the truth.

Everything was _not_ going to be ok.

"Eugene, they don't understand…" she sobbed, "You don't deserve to die…you're different…"

"Hey, Blondie," I murmured, rubbing her back. "It's alright…"

"No…no, you're different, Eugene…you're not bad, like they say…it's all not true…You're different now! You're good! You're different…"

"You're different, too," I said quietly.

Rapunzel gave me a confused look through her red, puffy eyes. "Huh?"

"You're…unlike anyone I've ever met," I admitted, letting my heart speak for me, for once. I didn't want to come out all mushy—definitely not—but she needed to know how I really felt. "You're fun, and smart, and—"

"No," she interrupted me. "No, I'm not. If I was smart, you wouldn't be in this mess."

"Hey," I said sternly, directing her flawless face towards mine. Her beautiful green eyes gazed into mine, and for an instant, I felt like just picking her up and bursting from this place, and just running…the two of us. "Don't say that. _None_ of this is your fault."

Rapunzel looked away, and opened her mouth to say something.

"No," I stopped her before she could bash herself any more. "Rapunzel, listen to me. No matter what happens, this is _not_ your fault. Believe me. In fact…even if I die tomorrow," I didn't add that this was most likely going to be the case, "I'm so glad I met you."

Rapunzel swallowed and looked up at me.

"You…you mean that?" she asked, her voice no more than a whisper.

I nodded, one hundred percent sincere.

Before I could do anything, Rapunzel turned and laid her head against my chest, and I held my breath, completely shocked to have this angel in my arms. She looked up at me curiously, obviously noticing my strange reaction.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said quickly, looking towards the window. I could detect the orange glow of the sun, just beginning to set. "Hey, Blondie…You might want to get going. You don't want to miss the lanterns."

Her eyes widened and I felt her jolt with surprise, but then she settled back down once again.

"I don't want to go now," she said, shifting herself even closer to me. "I want to stay with you."

I was shocked. She was giving up her dream to spend the night in a cold jail cell with a criminal? I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I shook my head. "Rapunzel…"

"Tell me about them," she requested. "I love it when you tell a story."

My whole being surged with warmth, and I took in a deep breath, even daring to run a gentle hand over Rapunzel's head. "Well, Blondie, every year, the lanterns appear…the most breathtaking, spectacular, wondrous sight you've ever seen. Annually, on this day, they light up the sky…a brilliant flood of hues—red, yellow, pink…" I smiled, remembering the first time I recalled seeing the lanterns fill the sky with their magnificent colors.

"What are they for?" Rapunzel asked. "Why do they do it every year?"

"Well, uh, for the lost princess, actually," I explained. "Years ago, the King and Queen had a beautiful baby girl: Princess…" I looked down at Blondie with a chuckle. "Well, Princess Rapunzel, actually."

"Rapunzel?" Blondie gasped, looking up at me. "She has my name! That's why the Queen looked at me like…"

She trailed off, and I urged her on, curious to know what had happened. "Like what?"

"Nothing," she said with a flick of the hand. "Keep going. What happened?"

"Well…to celebrate her birth, the King and Queen had a lantern released up into the sky. However, a few weeks after the princess was born, she…was kidnapped."

Rapunzel gasped and jolted up. "That—That's horrible! Who would do something like that?"

I shrugged, still remembering the huge shock that had swept over the Kingdom when they had first heard the news years ago.

"They never found out. No matter how much they searched, they could never find the baby, or her captor. It's been going on for about seventeen, eighteen years now. Every year, on the day she was kidnapped, all those lanterns are released into the sky, in hopes…that the princess will see them, and come back."

"Wow…" Rapunzel gazed out the window, completely breathless. "I never—Wait!" Her gaze jerked back to me. "The King and Queen's daughter…did you—You stole her crown?"

Oh, boy. She had found out. That definitely wasn't supposed to happen. Well, I wasn't going to lie to her—I was in too deep anyway. I took a deep breath and admitted my fault. "Yeah…that's—that's what I had in the satchel."

"Oh, Eugene," Rapunzel sighed, though she didn't look angry as she knelt down at my side—just saddened. "Why?"

"I was stupid, that's why," I shook my head, enraged at what an idiotic mistake I had made. "I thought getting that crown would be my one way ticket to paradise, but…Now that I look back, that wasn't the answer at all. That just made everything worse."

"So…you're sorry?"

I nodded. For the first time, I was guilty for something I had done.

"Well, that proves it," she said, settling against my side. "You've changed, Eugene…You're not who you used to be."

Up until that point, I had never really thought about it. But now… "Yeah, Blondie, I guess I have."

Wanting to get off of the topic of all the bad things I'd done in the past, I spotted Rapunzel's Flynnegan Rider book lying on the ground, and reached over and grabbed it. "Hey, Blondie, is this any way to take care of your stuff?"

She took the book from my hands and began flipping through it, an upset look on her face. "I can't find Jessica."

My gaze snapped towards her, confused. "What?"

"The story of Flynnegan and Jessica…I want to read it. What was it called again? I can't…I can't find it."

Once again, Blondie had found me out. I guess it made sense—she was bound to find out soon enough on her own. I took a deep breath and confessed. "That's 'cause…it's not in there."

She looked up at me, completely puzzled.

"What? No, but—" she looked at the book, and then back at me. "What do you mean? You read it to me in the bookstore! I—"

"I didn't read it," I admitted. "I…I made it up."

Rapunzel's eyes grew huge, and she gave the book one last scan before finally giving up and closing it. "How? But, you—Why?"

"I needed a way to…" I looked at her, conjuring up every ounce of bravery I had in me to say the next sentence. "I needed a way to tell you how I really felt about you."

Rapunzel still looked completely lost. "Eugene…I don't understand."

"_You're _Jessica."

Rapunzel was silent, her wide-eyed gaze stuck on me, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I made up that story to represent you and me," I explained. "I needed a way to portray my feelings for you, without completely giving it away."

"But at the end…" Rapunzel was deep in thought, finally piecing it all together. "Flynnegan tells Jessica…" she looked up at me, the realization hitting her. "…Eugene…you…_love_ me?"

I nodded, a whole array of emotions swirling inside me. "Yeah, Blondie…I do."

Now she knew the truth. I couldn't believe I had managed to work up the guts to tell her, though that wasn't entirely true. She had found out on her own. Now that had I told her…there was something_ I_ needed to hear.

"There's something else at the end, too," I said quietly, biting my lip. "Rapunzel…tell me…Do you…uh…" I didn't want to force it on her; I wanted her to make the choice completely on her own. But that just left me having no clue what to say, and I sat, staring at the ground like an idiot.

"I do," she nodded, me not even having to finish my sentence. "I think…I think I do. Eugene, I think I love you."

I looked up at her in pure amazement. Her words were the most astounding thing I had ever heard, and I felt I could do anything—She loved me. This wonderful, amazing, beautiful girl loved _me._

Just like Flynnegan Rider, I had everything I wanted. But my fulfillment was different. The girl of my dreams loved me.

She loved _Eugene Fitzherbert._ Not Flynn Rider.

She.

Loved.

Me.

"I love you, Eugene Fitzherbert," that beautiful girl said, leaping forward to embrace me in the warmest hug I had ever experienced. Caught off guard at first, I soon returned her action, wrapping my strong arms around her, never wanting to let her go. I squeezed my eyes shut tight, overwhelmed by the beauty of this moment. I wanted to hold her like this forever…never wanting to end this embrace…I never wanted to leave her…I wanted to protect her, shielding this amazing young woman with my arms, and never letting any harm come her way. I buried my face in her hair, taking in her sweet scent. Rapunzel was _mine_, and I never could bear to let her go.

And never in my life had I felt so alive…

…than in the moment I was so close to death.

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	12. He Has to Live

**Hey, people of Earth, Mars, and those of you lucky people of Neptune who can get Wi-Fi!**

**So, here's Chapter 12 of What Must Be Done. Sorry it took a few days for me to update-I was really busy with just...bleh, chaos. Another apology-this chapter is sort of short. It's sort of leading up to something more, but I will tell you the truth...I'm not sure what it is yet. O.o**

**So, attention everyone: I need you guys' opinion-Please! You guys's imput will affect the whole entire ending of this story! So here's the question: Do you think this is getting a bit too long? This is already longer than my other Tangled story, Truth and Lies, and that's pretty long. I mean, I've seen some stories that are like, 30 something chapters, but I don't want you guys to have to sit at the computer and read a novel on here-you see what I'm saying? I can picture some of you guys at the computer reading this and just being like, "UGH! When is she going to end this?" Others of you, I can see enjoying a bunch more chappies. So what do you say? Are you eagerly awaiting the ending, or do you _never_ want it to end? Your imput changes everything, so please review and let me know.**

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I couldn't believe it.

Eugene…he loved me.

_He loved me_.

And now, enveloped in his warm embrace, my own arms wrapped around his body, taking it all in…It was the most incredible feeling in the world. I let my head fall against his shoulder, and I immediately felt guilty for the tears that strayed from my eyes and dared to stain his vest. But I couldn't help it. Eugene loved me, but…but…

He was going to die.

How could they kill him? Couldn't they see he had changed? He had a terrible life and practically no other choice…and he was sorry. Couldn't he just tell them that? I wished it was that easy. I wished that he could just admit his faults and be freed…and we could go and live the happy life that my heart so desired in that moment. I held him tighter. They could never take him. He was _mine_…I couldn't let him go.

"Miss…Rapunzel?"

A voice from behind me broke through the beautiful moment, and I had to force myself away from Eugene to look behind me, where a guard stood, staring at us through the bars of Eugene's cell.

"I'm afraid it's time to go."

I looked back at Eugene, clutching onto him as if I left, I would die. I had to struggle with the realization that, if I left, I wouldn't die, but…he would.

"Eugene…" I whispered tearfully, pulling myself closer to him.

"No, Rapunzel, you need to go," Eugene stroked my hair reassuringly, though I could see that he was just as reluctant to let me go as I was to leave.

I choked back a sob, wondering if this was the last time I would ever see him again.

"Rapunzel…" he soothed, his amber brown eyes gazing deep into my own. "I love you."

A smile peeked through my tears. "I love you, too."

I was numb all over; Eugene helped me to my feet and handed me my book, and I gazed into his eyes, dreading asking the question that had been lingering in my mind.

"When…" I said quietly, and then took a deep breath, forcing myself to finish the sentence. "When are they going to…"I shut my eyes tight, and then opened them to wipe away the tears. It was no use. I couldn't do it.

Eugene let out a sigh and looked down at the ground. "Tomorrow," he answered. "Just after sunrise." He took in another deep breath. "They…uh…the—"

Suddenly, completely overwhelmed at the thought of losing him, I threw my arms around him one last time, letting all my tears spill out.

"Don't go, Eugene…don't go…"

Eugene held me close, and once again, I felt the amazing security of his strong arms around me—a warm, solid, impenetrable barrier in which nothing could break through.

Except…death.

I felt him leading me towards the door, and before I knew it, I had no choice but to let go. Standing on the other side of Eugene's jail cell, the bars were slammed right in front of my face—the barrier keeping me from what I really needed most:

Him.

I watched, unable to say a word, as I caught a last glimpse of Eugene through the bars of the prison, and he looked up at me with as much of a smile as he could muster.

"Happy birthday, Rapunzel," he said quietly.

Before I could respond, I felt myself being directed away from the cell by the guard who had come to fetch me, and I could only watch, numbed with grief, as Eugene got farther and farther from my reach—and then disappeared completely.

Eugene Fitzherbert was gone.

And as I finally turned and gave in to the official guiding me down the dark hallways, I thought,

_How can I have a happy birthday knowing…you're going to die?_

O-O-O-O-O

**(Rapunzel's P.O.V. …again.)**

I quickly wiped the tears away from my eyes as I entered the room where the King and Queen had been waiting. I needed to look presentable in front of the royal leaders, but it took everything I had to hold myself together.

This was all like a nightmare…a horrible, horrible nightmare. Except this time, it was real. Real and true and unchangeable.

There was nothing I could do.

I remembered to bow at the last second as I came before the King and Queen, but my mind was a thick, hazy fog…I couldn't piece anything together. The only thing I could think of was Eugene's amber eyes…minutes ago, a mixture of love for me and pain for losing everything…was that the last time I was ever going to see them?

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and looked up to see the Queen staring sorrowfully into my eyes.

"I'm very sorry, dear," she apologized. "I can see how much this is hurting you."

Miraculously, I somehow managed to hold back my tears and then looked up gratefully at her.

"Thank you," I nodded. Suddenly, I remembered what Eugene had said about today being in remembrance of the kidnapped princess, and I immediately felt sympathetic towards them. Now that I knew the feeling of loss, I could somewhat connect to them—though there probably would never be the day where I would truly understand how it felt to lose a child… "I'm…I just want to say I'm sorry, as well."

The King spoke now. "Well, whatever for?"

"I heard about what happened to your daughter. I just want to say I'm really sorry, and I hope you find her soon."

The Queen nodded, staring curiously at me. "Thank you…" she said, but the way she looked me over made me a bit uncomfortable, and I looked over to see the King was doing the same. I fidgeted a little bit, embarrassed by their strange observations of me.

"I'm sorry," the Queen said quickly, noticing how uncomfortable I was. "Please forgive me. You just…you look very familiar." The King nodded in agreement.

"Really?" I asked. I had never left the tower in my life, so I couldn't have known anyone from the outside world—especially the King and Queen of Corona!

The Queen gave me one more curious look. "It's…almost like—"

"Your majesties?"

A voice stopped the Queen mid-sentence, and all three of us looked up to the top of the staircase to see another guard staring down at us.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," he apologized, "but you are needed in the West Wing."

"Yes, Henry," the King called up to him. "We'll be there right away."

Both of the kingdom leaders gave me one final look, and then the Queen finally spoke, taking her hand off of my shoulder.

"Again, I'm sorry," she sighed genuinely. "I'm not sure why, but…I can see you truly share a connection with him."

I nodded, emotion threatening to swallow me alive. I hadn't been able to save Eugene…For the first time in my life, I hadn't been able to keep a promise. I felt terrible. "Thank you anyways," I managed to whisper.

With one final sympathetic look at me, the King turned to direct his wife up the staircase, and I turned to leave, hardly believing I could manage to find the strength to…well, even walk.

This was all wrong.

After I had exited the castle and met back up with Maximus, I completely lost it. I burst into tears, burying my face into the stallion's flank. I couldn't believe that all this had happened within a few days time. At first, I had thought of Eugene as a stuck-up jerk. Then, a reluctant but helpful tag-along. Soon, that relationship morphed into a friendship, after he had trusted me enough to confide in me. And finally, after that emotional moment in the prison cell, I realized that that friendship had turned into something more, for both of us.

Love.

I knew a little about love; I loved Mother, and I knew she loved me back. I loved Pascal, but he was my friend. This kind of love…it was indescribable. It made me feel like flying and singing and laughing and touching the sky all at the same time…except now, it was making my heart break.

One of the books that I owned back at the tower had a line that had puzzled me for years: "Better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all." Not knowing the true meaning of _love_, I never understood that. How on earth could you rather love something and then have it ripped away from you than just have never loved it in the first place? At least never loving it would spare you the heartbreak.

But now that I had been caught in this situation with Eugene, I finally realized what that phrase meant. Even though I was losing Eugene, to never have met him…then I never would have experienced that beautiful, warm embrace from a man who was truly sorry for what he had done and wanted to change.

Pascal rubbed up against my neck, and with a sniff, I looked down at him, thankful for his comforting gesture. "I bet if he had the crown," I murmured, "he would give it back…"

Then, I snapped up, realizing what I had just said.

"If he had the crown," I repeated, "he could give it back!" And the more I thought about it, another thing burst into my head.

"He doesn't have the crown, but…I…I do!"

I knew exactly where that crown was, too. In the satchel, with Mother. And suddenly, everything started falling into place. I could go back into the forest, somehow find Mother, and get back here with the satchel before Eugene's execution and possibly save him! It was a long shot—an _extremely_ long shot—I only had until sunrise tomorrow. But I would do whatever I could to save him.

Whatever it took.

Not wanting to waste a second, I looked up at Maximus, who eyed me suspiciously.

"Quickly!" I cried out. "We have to go! I know how to save Eugene!"

Maximus didn't hesitate—instead, he lowered his neck so I could hop onto his back. For a moment, I froze, a little bit nervous. After all, I had never ridden a horse—or any, animal, actually—before, and Maximus was a pretty tall stallion. Also, I had no idea how fast he would go, or if I would be able to hold on…

Maximus gave me an urgent neigh, and I cleared the thoughts from my head. No. I didn't have time to be afraid. Eugene's life was at stake. I had no time for fear. Right then, my only fear was not finding the crown and returning before he hung the next morning. Heart-wrenching images of his lifeless body dangling from the noose flashed in my mind, and in an instant, I conjured up every ounce of bravery I had and mounted the horse, gripping his mane tightly.

As soon as I leapt upon the horse, it was off in an instant, realizing the severity of the situation and how important every second was. Maximus bolted down the streets of Corona, ignoring the yelps of the people who just managed to hop out of the way of the racing white stallion. I held on for dear life, but courage surged through my being as I kept my eyes straight ahead, urging Maximus on. I could feel my—albeit chaotically messy—braid flying out behind me, and the wind upon my face as the horse's hooves pounded against the cobblestone.

"To the forest," I panted, my heart pounding a mile a minute. "I have to find my mother."

It then crossed my mind that Maximus had never even seen my mother, or known anything about her, but then I was reassured by the fact that Maximus was probably the greatest tracker out there—he had found Eugene, after all. If there was a human in the forest, you bet he would be able to find it.

I just hoped he could find her in time.

_We can do this,_ I encouraged myself, feeling Maximus quicken his pace even more. I thought of Eugene, and all he had missed out on in life. I wasn't going to let him miss out on more. I wasn't going to let him come to an end.

He was going to live.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I barely noticed a faint light out of the corner of my eye.

Turning to catch a glimpse of what it was, I watched, brokenhearted, as I saw the first lantern rise into the sky.

* * *

**Sorry for the shortness! If I try really hard I might be able to get the next chapter up tonight as well.**

**So let me know-end sooner, or later?**

**Thanks! Reviews are welcome, too...as usual! Pascal will be watching...very...very...closely...Yeah, you better click that review button.**


	13. Running Out of Time

**Holy cow.**

**I think this is the longest chapter of the story, but I hope it's good-I was getting all into it when I was writing it, and it was just, wow...that was intense. Hopefully you feel the same way!**

**(This chapter actually has a blooper section-Long story. More about it in the end...)**

**But anyway...**

**I hope you enjoy it. There might be just a few mistakes because I had to skim read through it 'cause I'm about to leave.**

**Please, please, PLEASE review! I really need reviews, on this chapter more than anything. I thought it came out well, but...you know...maybe it sucks. Just please let me know!**

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**Thanks everyone for reading!**

**Oh, and a special shout-out to a certain reviewer called "I am Reptar, Hear me RAWRR!" Thank you. Thank you so much. Your comment was one of the most meaningful things I've ever read *chokes and sobs*. I'm sorry, just...I've never met anyone who understands PIE like I do! (If you have no clue whatsoever what I'm blabbering about, check out their review...hehehe-and LEAVE A REVIEW OF YOUR OWN ALONG THE WAY! ;-) )**

**Thanks, guys!**

**I don't own Tangled...but I'm counting down the days until March 29! YAY!**

**

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**

It was hopeless.

How on earth did I expect to know my way around in the _forest_?

The sky was pitch black with darkness, but still, I could hear Maximus's nose snorting as he sniffed the air, looking for any other signs of humanity out amongst the desolate forest. Once or twice, he had gotten on a trail, but within a few minutes, we had lost it. It had crossed my mind that Mother most likely had moved from the spot she saw me last to go looking for me, but now that I thought about it, if she kept walking, there was no way we were ever going to find her.

"I'm not giving up," I said out loud, more to myself than Maximus. I wished that Eugene could have heard me. I knew that he was trying to be brave, more for me than anything, but just to think about it—he was going to _die_ tomorrow. What human being in their right mind wouldn't be at least a little bit afraid?

_No,_ I said sternly in my mind. _Eugene is _not _going to die tomorrow. I can't even believe I thought that. I will find that crown, and I am going to save him!_

Easier said than done. But like I said, I was _never, ever _going to give up. Every second counted in a situation like this, and I wasn't going to waste even the smallest bit of time. I remembered the promise I had made to him and the terrifying images of him hanging, lifeless, from that noose…I could not let him down.

"Come on!" I urged Maximus, who ran forward once again. He dove to the left, apparently on some kind of trail. My heart soared as he twisted and turned, sniffing the ground intently. He was definitely onto something.

_Please…_ I prayed silently, hoping that this search would not be in vain. _Please, please let him find—_

Suddenly, Maximus skidded to a halt with a neigh, and I spotted a solitary figure in the darkness, who whirled around, frightened, at the sudden sound of the horse. My eyes widened when I made out their features in the moonlight. The person—a female—had a hood over her head, with ebony black curls streaked with grey peeking out from underneath the fabric. Her face, which I was usually used to seeing so smooth and flawless, was now painted with the slight beginnings of age lines and wrinkles, and her hand, which flew to her mouth as she gasped at the sight of me, was equally aged. I didn't care about her appearance. It was _her_.

We had found my mother.

"Mother!" I squealed, leaping off the horse and running to her side. Before she could react, I wrapped my arms around her, just overjoyed to see her again. As much fun as I had been having in the kingdom before Eugene's arrest, I had missed my mother so…

"Rapunzel!" I heard my mother gasp, still shocked to have found me. She returned my embrace, holding on so tightly I wondered if she would ever dare let me go again—as if I would bolt the second she loosened her grip on me. I understood her fear, but then, suddenly, I remembered the whole reason I had come down here to find her in the first place. I struggled from her gasp, my heart pounding. I suddenly felt extremely nervous—but I was running out of time!

"Mother," I said, my eyes pleading, "I need your help. _Please_."

"Rapunzel, why on earth did you leave me?" Mother gasped, not even acknowledging what I had just said. Her aged hand ran across my face, as if she wasn't even sure the human being in front of her was her daughter. "You scared me half to death! Don't ever do that again!"

"Yes, Mother, I—I'm sorry, but this is important!" I stuttered, growing more desperate with every passing second. "I need your help! This is life or death here! I—"

"Rapunzel, did someone hurt you?" Mother interrupted me once again, now inspecting me for any injuries. "I told you, the world is a _horrible_, _dangerous_ place!"

"No, Mother, just—"

"No?" Mother questioned, shocked.

"Listen to me!" I cried out my demand, tears welling up in my eyes. Finally, Mother fell silent.

"Ok, I'm listening," she nodded irritably.

I sniffed and wiped at my eye, and then proceeded to tell her my dilemma.

"There's this person, and…he's my friend! And something happened…he'll die if we don't save him! I have to clear his name. Mother, I need that satchel so I can return that crown! He means so mu—"

"_Return_?" Mother practically screeched the word. "Why, Rapunzel, you ride up on some dangerous animal after being missing for practically two days straight and you expect me to let you go _back_?"

"I have to!" I yelled, my heart sinking at the fact that the chances of getting that satchel back looked pretty slim. "I don't care if you go with me or if we go straight back the second he's freed! Just…I can't let him _die_!"

"Flower, I'm sorry," Mother said, stroking my hair. "But even if I was willing to let you go back into such a dangerous place—"

"The Kingdom is _not_ a dangerous place!" I retorted.

Mother's eyes grew huge, and I then realized that she never really knew that I had gone to the _Kingdom_, specifically. With more force than I expected, she grabbed my arm and commenced to pull me away.

"Wait—stop! What are you doing?"

"You are _never_ going back to the Kingdom, Rapunzel!" Mother said sternly, not loosening her grip. "You don't understand—"

"No, _you_ don't understand!" I screamed, ripping away from her. "I…I _love_ him!"

Mother froze, and I held my breath. Oh, boy. Now I had done it.

I couldn't see Mother's expression with her back turned to me, but her stunned silence led me to believe that it wasn't a good one. And as she turned around, my fears were reassured; even though she wore a slight smile, the fire in her eyes said it all.

"You love him, huh?" she said, her quiet voice brimmed with a threatening tone. "Well, then, what about me? Do you love this _stranger_ you've known for two days more than your own _Mother_?"

"No, of course not! I never said—"

"Look at me!" she shrieked, grasping one of her elderly hands. "This is all because of your _love_!"

Overwhelmed with a wave of guilt, I tried to hold back tears. "Mother, I'm so sorry—"

"Apparently not," she sighed, rubbing her face with her hands. "You deserted me, Rapunzel…and now, you have to choose…Me, or him?"

I gasped at her words. That was the toughest question I had ever been asked in my life. I thought of my mother, in the condition she was in now, and worsening by the day. But then I thought of Eugene, who only had tomorrow—not even that…he would be executed at sunrise. If I saved him and then came back, I would never have to lose either one of them…but leaving Eugene would be like losing a little piece of _me_.

I knew what I had to do. While Mother had her hands over her face, I noticed the brown material of the satchel peeking out from underneath her cloak, and just under that, the shimmering sparkle of the crown.

The crown that would save Eugene.

Taking in a deep breath, I moved closer to Mother, who still had her hands covering her face. With the quickest action possible, I thrust my hand forward and swiped the crown, and then turned and bolted for Maximus, whom I mounted as speedily as I could.

"Rapunzel!" the cry came from behind me, and I looked to see Mother racing towards me. In an instant, Maximus turned and began galloping towards the direction of the Kingdom, and I looked back sadly to see Mother's figure getting smaller and smaller as the distance grew between us.

"I'm sorry, Mother," I apologized in a whisper, "but I _love_ him."

O-O-O-O-O

**(Rapunzel's P.O.V.)**

I was running out of time.

I had never been so terrified to see the first signs of sunrise, and as the orange orb began peeking over the horizon, my heart was pounding just as rapidly as Maximus's hooves were hitting the dirt. I could see the castle in the distance, but we were still surrounded by trees—how on earth could we get there before…Eugene was gone?

"Go, Maximus, _go_!" I urged the horse on, and the stallion bolted forward, just as determined as I was to get to the castle in time. I was so proud of the horse; running all night without fail, and now stopping at nothing to reach the man who he had previously hated just a day earlier.

I just hoped it would be enough.

My heart soared as I spotted a break in the trees, and I saw the stone bridge that led from the forest to the Kingdom. I gripped Maximus's reins as he bounded forward even faster, and I felt the breeze in my hair as it flew out behind me. My braid had come undone on its own a long time ago, and now my seventy feet of hair flowed out behind me like a huge golden wave. I gripped the crown tightly in my hand, knowing that _this_ would make everything alright.

It had to.

People yelped in surprise as they leapt out of the path of the lightning-quick horse, and I could see the sun had risen even higher in the early morning sky.

_Running out of time…_

_Running out of time…_

As I raced forwards, my mind was flooded with thoughts of Eugene—his handsome, rugged smile, his sarcastic sense of humor, and everything else that made me so determined to make sure that today wasn't his last day.

_"Because I'm…irresistible?"_

_"Just another day in the life of Flynn Rider!"_

_"Hey, Blondie, I still don't like you."_

_"__You're not too bad yourself…Rapunzel."_

_"Even if I die tomorrow, I'm so glad I met you."_

_"Rapunzel…_

_…I love you."_

Those words kept me going—fueled every fiber of my being and sent my whole entire spirit into overdrive. He was _not _going to die. I would do everything in my power—find a way to _stop time_, if I had to—to save Eugene.

I was shaken from my daydream as we bolted around a corner, and then, with a gasp, I found myself at the front of the huge, regal castle. But now, instead of magnificent and beautiful, it looked menacing—haunting, even—because I knew, it was there that they planned to end Eugene's life.

"No!" I yelled out, noticing that the drawbridge was pulled up, covering the door and leaving a huge gap between my side of the cobblestones and the ones that surrounded the castle. In that gap was a deep moat, and, looking around frantically, I saw nothing that I could wrap my hair on and use as a rope.

We would have to jump.

The thought just made me grip even tighter on the horse, but Maximus seemed to know what I was thinking. A determined gaze in his eye, Maximus backed up, preparing to take the leap. I wrapped my arms around his neck, terrified but swallowing my fear.

_For Eugene…_

_For Eugene…_

"For Eugene!" I cried, as Maximus propelled himself forward. Suddenly, I felt myself flying—soaring through the air, my hair flowing out from behind me. It reminded me of the time Eugene and I had escaped from the palace guards back in the forest, and a feeling of pure freedom enveloped my entire body. The fear was gone. No limits, no boundaries…

I could fly.

Maximus's hooves hit the stone on the opposite side of the bridge, and he scrambled onto level ground as quick as he could. In an instant, I had leapt off of the horse, racing past the closed drawbridge and flinging open the front doors to the palace. There were no guards at the front this time—either it was because the drawbridge was closed and they didn't expect anyone or just because they were all attending Eugene's execution. I prayed it wasn't the latter.

I burst through the door, the crown in hand. The huge room where I had first met the King and Queen was empty—there was not a soul to be found. Instead of the huge, lit, beautiful area I had seen earlier, the room was now a dark, dreary, terrifying place. The ivy designs on the wall that I had previously thought were so beautiful were now deadly, threatening arms that were reaching out, just ready to snatch me up and crush the life out of me.

_The gallows…_ I racked my brain, trying to remember where they were. Suddenly, the image flashed in my mind; I had seen them on my way out of the prisons after visiting Eugene earlier that afternoon. In an instant, I was racing down the halls, my bare feet pounding against the cold marble floor. The sunlight shone in through the window, gleaming off of the crown in my hand that I would use to save my love from a horrible, undeserving death.

I just hoped I wasn't too late.

O-O-O-O-O

**(Eugene's P.O.V.)**

It had all come down to this.

There was no way out.

I didn't sleep a bit that night—which was to be expected—after all, that was the last night I'd be spending on Earth, really. After sunrise the next morning, I'd be six feet under…that is, if I was even given the privilege of being buried. Knowing how much these guys had against me, who knows what they'd do with me after I was…dead.

Dead.

What a word.

But still, all that night, death wasn't the only thing on my mind. There was one more thought that I just couldn't seem to shake:

Rapunzel.

I had finally told her…told her I _loved _her. Love…it was the only thing really keeping me going in that dark, filthy dump of a prison cell. She was really the first person I had ever truly _loved_. All the other women I had hit on in the past—sure, they were pretty, and I'd reel 'em in with charm and witty lines and such—but never in my life had I actually felt _love_ for them. Not like this. It was amazing. I just wished that it hadn't taken for me to be an inch away from death to realize it.

I wondered where Rapunzel was now…hopefully, someone had helped her get home, or at least somewhere warm for the night. I didn't want her to have to go through sleeping out on the streets, like I had to do plenty of times when I was younger. I also hoped she had gotten a chance to live out her dream and see the lanterns…even without me.

Whatever had happened, I just prayed she was safe.

A sharp clang jolted me out of my thoughts, and I looked up from my position on the ground to spot the bars to my cell had been flung open, a group of royal guards standing right outside, glaring at me.

"Come on, Rider," one of them—I wrathfully recognized him as the captain—commanded me scornfully. "Let's get this over with."

I shakily rose to my feet, taking in a deep breath to hide my fear. There was no fighting it.

This was it.

I gritted my teeth as the guards yanked me aside, bounding my wrists behind my back with a tight rope. It just reminded me more of the rope that would, within minutes, end my life. But still, as I was turned and led down the dark hall of the prisons toward the gallows, I held my head high. I imagined Rapunzel was right there, watching me as I was led towards my doom, and held my bravest gaze, straight ahead.

No matter what happened, I would not show my fear.

All too soon, light flooded my vision, and we were outside, stepping down the stairs that led to the courtyard, where the gallows stood, waiting for me. The noose, swaying ominously in the slight breeze, just reassured me that this was real.

I really was going to die.

The courtyard was surrounded by people; commoners, officials, even the King and Queen themselves…all of them had come to see the infamous Flynn Rider finally receive his punishment. I thought of all I had done in the past, and deep down, I knew that I deserved _something_. Of course, in no way did I want to _die_, but I knew the things I did in the past were wrong, even if they were supposed to benefit me in the future. For the first time in my life, I had _regret_, and not just because within a few minutes, I'd be hanging lifeless from that noose. I looked around at all the people surrounding me…some faces I recognized, and others I didn't. But I knew one thing: Most of them,_ I_ had affected. Whether I had stolen from them or threatened their property or done, well, whatever…I had changed their lives, and they _wanted_ me dead. Even the King and Queen…heck, I had stolen their _daughter's crown_. Just the other day, when I had stolen it, I hadn't really thought about it, but looking at this from their eyes…their daughter was _lost_. Dead, maybe. And I had just taken the only thing of hers that those grieved parents had to hold onto.

What had I done?

I swallowed as I was led, ever so slowly, up the steps onto the platform of the gallows. My palms began to sweat as I was positioned over the trapdoor and the noose was slipped over my head and tightened around my neck. There was no escape now…my heart pounded inside of my chest.

It wouldn't be pounding for long.

The pure apprehension of the moment…the churning in my stomach when I thought, any second now, that lever would be pulled, and I would fall through that door into a never-ending void of blackness. Never again would I see another morning, or live to tell yet another one of my heroic escape stories.

There was no escape this time around.

I could hear an official's voice as my decree of execution was announced, but all I could think of was Rapunzel. Years from now, I knew my name would be forgotten, and Flynn Rider would be no more. But I had a feeling that _she_ would remember. And she wouldn't remember me as Flynn Rider, the devious, smart-talking thief. No, she'd remember me as Eugene Fitzherbert, a man who had a dream…a life to live…and just had no way to get there. She'd remember me as a good person who made some bad decisions, and now wished more than anything that he could take them all back.

I was alone on the platform, all eyes on me as the official announced that my life was about to end, right here, and right now. I looked around at all the people—all the people I had hurt, scared, or just plain affected, and I was sorry.

I was truly sorry.

I then closed my eyes and thought of Rapunzel…that beautiful, beautiful girl…her gorgeous, green eyes…the way she smiled…laughed…and the whole feeling of optimism and curiosity that shone out from everything she did…enough to change even a guy like me.

The seconds dragged out like hours, the hours like years. Finally, the official's speech ended, and I could sense the captain walking over to the lever, taking his sweet old time. I knew he was dragging it out, making sure every last agonizing second of my life was spent in pure dread.

But I had overcome my dread. Rapunzel broke through it all. In my eyes, I pictured her—the way she held me in those last beautiful moments we had together, and that was the image that I held in my mind. It swept away all the fear, all the anxiety, and filled the empty space with an indescribable passion that I had never felt in my life. That was the last thing I wanted to remember. That image…that moment…I wanted that to be the last thought I ever had fixated in my mind.

And as I dreamed of that gorgeous young girl and I forever being together, everything seemed to go in slow motion. I heard the first "clack" of the captain's hand grabbing the lever, the sound of me inhaling, taking in my last sweet breath of air on this earth, and then the scream.

The agonizing scream.

The voice—the scream—that I never dreamed I would hear again.

"NO!"

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**I am extremely sorry for leaving you all in suspense...I'm just evil like that.**

**As for the blooper section, you can thank my MANIAC friend, rabidbunnybots. I was typing the story today and she randomly comes up and puts some random chaos in JUST when it gets to the good part. It actually came out pretty funny...if you want to see it, just let me know in your review! Which you are leaving...right?**

**Right?**

**You better say right.**

**Oh, yeah, one more thing that will make you all so proud...There's a guy I know who has never seen Tangled who kept saying that it was the dumbest movie ever...(Called Eugene "Flo Rida" and "Eugene Fishburger" LOL!) But anyway, everything changed when he saw Flynn do the smolder...lol...he thinks it's the most hilarious looking thing...made me put it as my background...but now I've made him see the light! (Ha...no pun intended...)**

**More soon...DON'T EAT ME FOR THE CLIFFHANGER!**

**Just vent your anger in a review. :-)**


	14. Found and Lost

**Wow...LONGEST CHAPTER EVER!**

**Sorry it's so long...but it's sort of the big HOOPLAH moment...I'm not gonna spoil too much...you might want to just read it.**

**I just want you to know that I think this chapter is HORRIBLE! Honestly...I had to write this, but it was so hard to write...everyone's so OOC, and everything's so...AGH! I know where I was trying to go, but I just think this chapter is absolutely, positively without a doubt TERRIBLE. Ugh...don't hurt me!**

**The whole thing's from Eugene's P.O.V. (Just so you won't be confused)**

**Ok, since I think this chapter is SO horrible, and it was SOOOOOO hard to write, I need your reviews now more than ever. If you haven't reviewed at all reading this whole entire story, just PLEASE review now. Seriously...I really need you to review. Flynn, Pascal, Rapunzel etc. hugs for everyone who already reviewed! You guys have helped me so much!**

**Just to let you know, I am most likely gonna put the chapter 13 blooper up, but I think I'm going to do it after the story is finished. (Btw, there's just a few more chapters to go, so it won't be that much longer now)**

**OVER 120 REVIEWS! My head is about to explode. Seriously. Can we still reach 150? PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE?**

**Like I said, I especially need reviews on this chapter more than anything. I honestly think it's rediculously awful. Please tell me what you think. And the longer the review, the better. Please be as honest as you need to be. Like I said, I know this chapter stinks.**

**Please review! **

**Yeah, I want something I don't own**

**Something that I tell myself I need**

**Something I don't own**

**And TANGLED's what I want to see!**

**Yeah...I know it's lame...but I still don't own Tangled.**

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"NO!"

No.

It couldn't be.

My eyes flew open and my head jerked in the direction of the scream, and I was shocked to see Rapunzel running in, her hair—now completely undone—trailing out from behind her and a glittery object in her hand. She raised it high over her head, and I heard the whole crowd gasp at the sight of it.

It was the lost princess's crown.

I was imagining things—I had to be. I was just so overwhelmed by the moment that I was having hallucinations. But no…sure enough, all eyes were on the objecting young girl holding one of the most treasured items in the Kingdom.

It was real.

"Rapunzel!" I called out, and as soon as she caught sight of me, her face melted into a tearful smile.

"Eugene!" she cried, overjoyed at the fact that I was still alive. But, immediately, as she tried to run over to me, two guards swooped in and stopped her.

"Hold on!" one of them commanded the frantic girl trying to get through. "What is the meaning of this?" His eyes fell on the crown. "Where did you get this?"

"Euge—Flynn Rider," she had to change her words when the guards gave her a curious look, "wasn't able to return the crown because _I_ had it! When I first met him, I took his satchel, and the crown was inside. He would have given it back in an instant if he had it with him! It was just out of his control!"

I bit my lip at the sight of the Captain stepping away from the lever, and approaching Rapunzel with a suspicious look on his face. Though he was speaking just to her, his voice was exaggerated enough so the whole crowd could hear.

"Miss, I appreciate your concern, and the return of the crown, but I can reassure you that this _criminal_ would have certainly _not_ returned his most prized theft," he glared at me as he spoke. "And if he did, it would only be due to fear of the noose…not true reformation."

Rapunzel looked hurt as she drew back the crown. "You don't know him."

My whole being surged with gratitude. She was standing up for me. Now I knew she really _did_ truly love me. Only _she_ would see something more in a criminal…a scorned thief…and only _she_ would try to prove that they were capable of change. I just hoped it would be enough. But I knew she would stop at _nothing_ to get me my freedom, and I thanked her immensely for that.

The Captain shook his head. "Miss, are you aware that I've been chasing this man for years, now? _Years._ I'm pretty sure I know him plenty well; a dirty, filthy, rotten, no-good—"

"No, you don't," Rapunzel said sternly. "What about his childhood? Do you know about that? How about his dreams? Do you know what he really wants to do with his life instead of end up like _this_?" she gestured to the gallows with a disgusted hand.

The Captain simply chuckled. "Why on earth would someone need to know those things? He's a _thief_, and he deserves _punishment_. That's all there is to it. Why would one have to learn his whole entire back-story along with it?"

Rapunzel shot the man an angry glare.

"Maybe then you'll realize that he's more of a man than you ever were."

I couldn't help but gasp. Did she truly think that? My gasp seemed to ripple throughout the crowd, but no one was more surprised than the Captain himself, whose face was contorted into a look of pure rage.

"How dare you?" he rumbled, clenching his fists. "You know, I bet you're just another one of his wretched accomplices!" He pointed a commanding finger at the guards in front of the girl. "Arrest her at once!"

"No!" I yelled out, as the guards began to grab Rapunzel's wrists and drag the struggling girl away. I couldn't let this happen! I didn't care if I died now—she was innocent!

"_Stop!_" the King's voice bellowed across the whole entire courtyard, and everyone stopped in their tracks. He pointed a finger at the guards restraining the distraught young girl. "Release her at _once!_"

Immediately, their hands fell from Rapunzel, and I let out a sigh of relief. But then, my whole being tensed as the King's gaze fell on me. The guards glared at me as they walked over to the other side of the courtyard, discouraged at the fact that they hadn't been able to see their old foe finally meet his maker.

"I—I'm sorry," Rapunzel stammered, rubbing her teary eyes. "I didn't mean to—I—You just can't kill him!"

"Why do you stand for this man?" the King asked Rapunzel, while his wife looked on worriedly.

"I…Your majesty, I…I love him."

Once again, a huge gasp erupted from the crowd, and everything inside me went numb. This is why she was here…this is why she was jeopardizing everything…for me to live…

She loved me.

"I see…" the King looked back at her, his eyes softening. "Tell me, how did you meet Rider?"

Rapunzel shifted hesitantly, but then cleared her throat and began telling her story. "I…I was wandering around in the forest, and I stumbled upon him. I took his satchel, because I knew he was a criminal, and I didn't know what was inside, so I told him I would only return it to him if he took me…uh, to the Kingdom. I wanted to see the lanterns."

The King and Queen listened intently, as did all the other people who were attending my execution. Even_ I _listened, though I knew the story quite well…I just wanted to know what the King and Queen had to say about this.

"He agreed to take me, quite reluctantly, at first," she continued, "but then I saw something in him. He was beginning to change. I didn't know it was possible, especially in such a short period of time—"

"How long has it been?" the King asked.

"Three days, sir," Rapunzel nodded.

Only that short of a time and I felt like _this_? I couldn't believe that love could be so powerful as to sweep me away in a mere three days. But obviously, it was strong, if the woman I loved was standing here pleading the _King and Queen_ for my release.

"Please continue," the King said with a thoughtful nod.

"I knew for sure that he wasn't all bad when I saw him give an apple to a poor little orphan boy," Rapunzel explained. "And as time passed by, he began to tell me about himself, and I knew, deep down inside, he never wanted to do this. He just…didn't really have another option."

"So, are you saying that it's _fine_ that he committed all those crimes?" the Queen was the one who spoke up now.

"Absolutely not," Rapunzel shook her head. "But he doesn't deserve to _die_! He didn't kill anyone, or even put anyone in danger. And now you have the crown back," she raised the headpiece up in the air. "So, please…just let him go!"

Everyone fell silent, anxiously awaiting the King and Queen's reply.

"_Please…_" Rapunzel pleaded one last time.

I held my breath. Would they really let me go? I had done so much…I feared I could never wipe that slate clean. Rapunzel had done all she could, and I couldn't thank her enough for that. But, as much as I hated to admit it, it was unlikely that an infamous criminal sentenced to death would be pardoned just like _that_ because of one girl's pleas to set him free. I _had_ changed. I knew it was true. _She_ knew it was true. I was sure, if I got out of this situation, I would never steal again. It didn't matter if I had to get a job to stay alive—though I really doubted anyone would hire a former criminal—I would do it, nonetheless. I realized that when I had revealed my real name to Rapunzel, not only did the title I knew myself by change, but _I _changed, too. I wasn't Flynn Rider anymore. I was Eugene Fitzherbert. I just wished that everyone else could realize that.

I looked at the King and Queen, and then back at Rapunzel, and all of a sudden, I saw something that I hadn't realized at all before…gosh, they looked alike! The striking resemblance was just insane…Blondie had the exact same eyes as the Queen, and also seemed to bear some of the King's features, as well. The only difference was her hair…both the King and Queen had _brown_ hair, and Blondie's was, well, uh, blonde. Still, I knew that something was up, and looking down at her, I knew I had seen that face, even with that color hair, somewhere before…

But I just couldn't remember where.

Suddenly, just as the King opened his mouth to speak, another voice—a woman's voice—cried out, and all eyes flew towards the direction of the sound, where a hooded woman was fleeing into the courtyard. Everyone watched as she ran over to Rapunzel and grabbed her arm, and Rapunzel let out a gasp of pure shock.

"Mother!"

"Rapunzel, what do you think you're _doing_?" she screeched, and my heart froze at the eerily familiar voice. I knew exactly who this was: this was the crazy woman who tried to kill me when I first wandered into Rapunzel's tower! And now she was back…who knew what she'd do when she saw me? But it was mainly Rapunzel I was worried about. The woman grasped Rapunzel's arm even tighter, beginning to drag her away. No way was I going to let her get away with that—immediately, I began struggling against the ropes that bound my wrists. No good. I opened my mouth to say something, but the King beat me to it.

"Hold on!" the King commanded, leaning forward so he could take in everything from his high spot on the courtyard balcony. "Who are _you_, and why are you here?"

"I am her _mother_," the lady spat, still trying to drag back the struggling young girl. "And I am here to take my daughter home."

"No, Mother—please!" Rapunzel tried her best to break free, but the lady was relentless. They were already halfway across the courtyard. I knew exactly what Blondie was thinking; if she left, it would surely be the end for me. Her gorgeous green eyes locked with mine, except now, they were filled with anxiety, pain, and despair—a sight that completely broke my heart.

I caught a glimpse of Rapunzel's mother's face under her hood, and I could see the wrinkles and pale skin that I didn't remember at all from our last encounter. Had she gotten…older?

That didn't matter now. I had to rescue Rapunzel. With everyone's eyes on the mysterious woman, I desperately tried once again to untie the ropes that bound my hands behind my back. No such luck. But I wouldn't give up—they were almost at the exit. I would _not_ lose her again. Instead, I leapt over my locked arms—a painful action but I knew it was completely necessary—and started pulling at the ropes with my teeth. No time to waste…I could hear Rapunzel's protests and her mother's shouts over the surprised conversation flying amongst the crowd.

Finally, the ropes came undone, and I focused on tearing the noose from my neck. It was so tight…I could barely even get it over my head. But I had to…if no one did anything, Rapunzel would be ripped away forever.

"Rapunzel!" the hooded woman reprimanded, grabbing Blondie's other wrist—the one holding the crown. "Why do you have this? Didn't I tell you—"

"Let me _go_!" Rapunzel cried, ripping her hand away from her mother's grasp. Her hand flew back, and in her hand, the crown passed in an arc in front of her head.

Wait.

The crown—in that split second…

Oh, my gosh.

Now it hit me.

She was the lost princess.

I wondered why I hadn't seen it before…the striking resemblance, the fact that she looked _nothing_ like her "mother" here, and her birthday being on the exact day that the princess was kidnapped. Not to mention, they shared the same name. This was no coincidence. That crown said it all…it really was her. I now knew where I remembered that face; in the Kingdom square, there was a mural made in honor of the lost princess: an image of the King and Queen of Corona holding their beautiful baby girl, a green-eyed infant with flowing golden hair…Princess Rapunzel.

Here she was, and no one even realized.

No one but me.

"She's the lost princess!" I yelled out, finally yanking the noose over my head, and immediately, everyone froze and snapped their gaze towards me. The King and Queen looked shocked, Rapunzel looked confused, and Rapunzel's "mother" looked completely enraged.

"You…" she hissed, obviously remembering me. I had no clue what she had against me, but I stood my ground. I now knew the truth. She _kidnapped_ Rapunzel, and I wasn't going to let that beautiful girl be kept from her true family any longer.

"Get your hands _off_ of her," I demanded, stepping down from the gallows. Surprisingly, no one tried to stop me, but I could see the guards getting ready to swoop in and grab me at a moment's notice. "She's _not_ your daughter."

Rapunzel stared at me, eyes wide, and then nervously up at her "mother", and I could see she was beginning to consider what I said. The woman, however, thought fast to save face in front of this kidnapped girl, and also everyone else who was eying her in pure astonishment.

"That's preposterous!" she scoffed, though the fire in the way she glared at me gave it all away. "Honestly, do you think that _she_ is the lost princess?" She yanked up Rapunzel's arm, though I could see she had turned her so the majority of the crowd could not see her face.

"_She_ has a name," I pressed on. I looked at Rapunzel, whose eyes were filled with frightened tears. "Tell them, Blondie."

"R—Rapunzel…" Rapunzel murmured quietly. I saw her so-called "mother" glare at her and clench her wrist even tighter, but Blondie just took in another deep breath and repeated her name, a little bit louder. "Rapunzel."

Everyone in the crowd gasped, including the King and Queen. The King's eyes narrowed, as if he was finally picking out the similarities in both his daughter and this girl, and the Queen's hand flew to her mouth. Pretty soon, I could hear chatter rising from nearly every person in the throng.

"Rapunzel…isn't that—"

"Yes, they have the same name—"

"Look at her! She looks exactly like—"

"That's what the lady called her—"

"Oh, my gosh! It _is_ her!"

I watched the older woman as she looked around anxiously, realizing that her big secret had just been discovered. But still, she was determined to escape with her prize. Now, she turned to Rapunzel.

"Don't let him fool you, dear," she hissed. "This man is nothing but a liar and a thief! Remember the poster…"

"Remember…" Rapunzel murmured, looking down at the ground. She seemed to be lost in thought, and all of a sudden, a look of realization flooded her face. "Remember…remember! I remember!" She looked at the black-haired woman with big, frightened eyes. "I remember _everything_! I…I'm the lost princess!"

"Rapunzel, stop it!"

"No, no, _you_ stop, Mother!" she yelled, finally tearing away from the woman who had deceived her all those years. "Mother…I shouldn't even call you that, should I?"

"Rapunzel, you will do as I say, and you are coming with me this _instant!_" The lady lunged forward, ready to grab Rapunzel once again, but this time, I stepped in front of her defensively.

"Leave. Her. Alone." I commanded through gritted teeth. This lady wasn't going to hurt my Rapunzel anymore. I stood my ground, fists clenched, and everyone watched in stunned tension as the lady stared me dead in the eye with a look of rage that I had never seen in my life—even from my worst foes. She approached the two of us menacingly, and I held out my arms to make sure she wasn't getting anywhere near the girl I loved.

But that wasn't her plan.

Instead, she leaned in, as close to my face as I would allow her to get.

"You may have found us out, Rider," she whispered angrily, "but no one will believe you…"

Before I could react, an excruciating pain surged through my entire being as something was viciously stabbed into my side, and I gasped for air as it was quickly yanked out. I collapsed to the ground as the lady pulled back a dagger, now stained red with my blood.

"…No one believes a dead man."

"Mother!" I heard Rapunzel's terrified screech behind me as I clutched at my side, writhing in pain on the ground. But nothing could stop the torture…it was unbearable…every breath I took sent an agonizing wave of pain piercing through my whole entire body.

"Hold on, what—" I heard the King's voice bellow across the courtyard. At least, I think it was the King…I was in too much pain to tell… "_WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?_"

"It's Rider!"

"She stabbed him!"

"Is he dead?"

"I can't see!"

The area was filled with screams and shouts and pure turmoil, but it was all a chaotic distortion to me, as I gripped my side even tighter, feeling the warm, sticky blood seeping through my fingers. As much as it hurt, I tried to apply pressure to the wound, knowing it was the only thing that would keep me alive. Well…for now…Already, I could feel my consciousness fading. I let out a moan. Where was Rapunzel?

"No! Eugene! _EUGENE!_" My love's petrified shrieks echoed in my mind, swirling…fading in and out…I couldn't breathe…couldn't think…

"Rapunzel…" I choked out, and then was interrupted with a fit of painful coughing as I tried to catch my breath. I could taste the salty twinge of blood in the back of my throat and used my free hand to fumble about for Rapunzel. I struggled to keep my eyes open, and I could see her bare feet being dragged away from my reach. Weakly, I reached out to her, and then looked up as best I could to see if I could catch a glimpse of her. The sight was terrifying—Blondie had one arm outstretched towards me, the other being yanked away by the horrible witch that was going to lock her up, hidden away from the world, for the rest of her life, probably. Her green eyes were overflowing with tears, and she was letting out heart-wrenching screams of terror, trying desperately to get to me. I clawed at the ground, trying to move closer to her, but a horrible surge of pain pierced through my side, causing me to fall back down with another torturous chain of coughs.

"STOP THIS AT _ONCE_!" The King commanded, but of course, the woman paid no heed, just dragging that poor innocent girl off even more violently. From what I could comprehend all around me, the scene was pure pandemonium. Everyone was running around everywhere, trying to catch a glimpse of the dying thief and the screaming girl. Even the guards, who I knew were trying to get over to us and restrain Rapunzel's kidnapper, had no success in breaking through the swarms of onlookers.

I struggled to keep my eyes open, but it was getting harder and harder to stay awake. I couldn't breathe…it was as if a huge weight was on my chest…crushing me…

…My whole body…on fire…

…Rapunzel…

My head pounded as another one of Rapunzel's screams echoed through my mind, and suddenly, I heard something clatter to the ground next to me. My eyelids felt they weighed ten tons, but I forced them open to see what was going on, and next to me, I made out the fuzzy contour of the black-haired lady's dagger, still stained with my blood. Looking up, I spotted Rapunzel staring in horror at her hand, which now bore a blood-red gash. Her captor, equally shocked at the sight of her injury, let go of her arm with a gasp, and Rapunzel seized that opportunity to race over to my side and kneel down next to me.

"No, no, no…" she whimpered, her hands trembling as she inspected my wound. "It—it's ok, Eugene, it's gonna be alright…"

"Your hand…" I pointed out, wincing. "How did you…"

"I had to get the knife away from Gothel," Rapunzel said quickly, grabbing at her hair for some reason. "But it's going to be ok…I'm—"

Suddenly, she let out another scream and I watched in horror as she was yanked back, being ripped away from me by her long, golden hair. I summoned all my strength and grabbed onto her non-injured hand, never going to let go. I couldn't let go…but I couldn't hold on, either. I could feel my strength ebbing away as my eyelids threatened to close once again, and my grip was slipping away…

"No! Eugene! _DON'T LEAVE ME!_" er tearful screams broke through all the clamor going on around me.

"Rapunzel, STOP _NOW_!" the woman—Gothel—demanded, yanking her daughter back even more. I could feel her hand leaving my own…being torn away from me as I was helpless to stop it…

Or was I?

I forced my eyelids open one last time as Rapunzel's hand left mine, and groped around with my free hand for the dagger…

There.

I gripped it tightly as I inched myself closer to Rapunzel, who was somehow able to grip my vest as she was being pulled away. I knew I only had this one chance, and she had to act fast, and do exactly as I told her, no matter what happened. Even if it meant…leaving me.

"Rapunzel…" I choked out, world spinning. "As soon…as I do this…I need you to run…"

"What?"

Suddenly, I felt her hands loose their grip on my vest, and in that instant, I brought up my other hand, which was holding the dagger. In a split second, the blade sliced through her hair, and I felt my hand fall to the ground as my eyelids grew heavy once again. I hoped she had run…seized that one opportunity of freedom and gotten out of here…anywhere…somewhere safe…

But instead of pounding footsteps, I heard gasps, sobs, and, above it all, agonizing shrieks, coming from…Gothel?

"_What have you DONE?_" she screeched, and I could hear her screaming as my consciousness faded…the blackness threatening to consume me…

Rapunzel…

I love you…

Suddenly, something touched my face, and it took everything I had to force my eyelids open, which felt as if they weighed ten tons. In front of me was Rapunzel, her tearstained eyes gazing into mine. Her hair, which I had severed until it reached a length just above her shoulders, was now a cocoa brown. I looked up, but Gothel was gone, her cloak strewn on the ground as if she had never existed at all. I just couldn't comprehend it at all. I fought the darkness, threatening to consume me, and I could feel myself losing the battle. I tried to speak, but instead I let out a cough, forcing myself to remain awake. The pain wasn't even pain anymore…it was just numb…_I_ was numb…I almost felt like floating…I couldn't stay awake…I just couldn't…

"No, no, Eugene!" Rapunzel shook her head tearfully, refusing to let me go. "Don't leave me! Why…why did you do that? Now I can't…I can't..."

"What…?" my voice came out as a whisper.

"Why did you do that?" Rapunzel choked out.

"You couldn't...get away..." I explained, trying my best not to drift off. "I thought...if you were free for that one second...you'd have that head start...I couldn't...let...her take you..."

"But I couldn't leave you!" Rapunzel broke down crying, burying her face in my vest. "If you hadn't cut my hair, I-" I began another fit of violent, painful coughing, and her eyes grew wide with fear. "Eugene!"

"Rapunzel…" I murmured, caressing her face, feeling her hot tears on my hand. "Don't forget me…"

"No, no, Eugene, don't talk like that!" she cried, grasping my hand against her face. "You're gonna make it…you're going to make it…please…Don't go…"

"I won't go," I whispered, knowing that my time was quickly coming to an end. "I'll…always be right here…" I lay a hand over her heart, taking in every tender heartbeat that pounded rhythmically against my palm. Everything about this girl was beautiful…even every single beat of her pure heart.

"Oh…Eugene…" Rapunzel breathed, shaking with sobs.

"Rapunzel…" I ran my fingers through her—now chestnut-colored—hair, and stroked her face tenderly. "I love you…"

Rapunzel swallowed, heartbroken, and pure warmth flooded through my body at the sound of her next four words, driving out every ounce of pain my mortal injury had left me with.

"I love you, too."

And before I knew it, Rapunzel swooped down, wrapped her arms around my neck, and pressed her lips against mine. The second we touched, absolutely beautiful…her passion flooding through me…an indescribably wonderful feeling that I had never experienced before…there were no words for this kiss. It was so right, so complete, and so…real. This is what I had never been able to obtain all my life: love. As an orphan, I never truly had love, and as a thief, most definitely not. But this kiss…this sweet, beautiful, one-in-a-million kiss…filled that empty void inside me with all the love that I had ever craved. She loved me…she loved me…And I loved her. The kiss was so pure, so fulfilling…so…just…beyond words.

And now my life was complete.

_Rapunzel…I love you…_

The last thing I remembered was that beautiful girl's lips against mine as I faded away, letting the blackness consume me, and closing my eyes for the very last time.

* * *

**Yes.**

**I just did what you think I just did.**

**I know you probably hate me forever for this, but I felt I needed to do this.**

**A lot of the times, you'll read an angsty story and the ending is always the same, and always so predictable. I felt like we needed a change. For some reason, this idea just came to mind, and I felt I had to go through with it, just to change things up a bit in the fanficiton world.**

**Though I love Eugene...I can't even believe I did this.**

**I am sad now. :-(**

**But anyway, I understand if you want to slam me 20 times upside the head with a frying pan, but...**

**I'm sorry.**

**Just, even if you can't stand me right now, please review. I need this more than ever. I didn't want Eugene's death to be a completely terribly written moment, and I need to know if it was.**

**If you can, just stay with me and finish this, even if you're really REALLY mad at me (which I think you are, judging by your red, terrifying eyes...eep) There's only about one or two more chapters left.**

**Again, I'm sorry,**

**understand if you hate me,**

**and I like pie.**

**-Sheep1215**


	15. Memories

**Wow...ok, here it is, the final chapter!**

**Sorry it took so long to put it up-I've been going at like, a billion miles per hour, and on top of that, I've been SICK, so like, yeah...**

**ARGH! Hey, have you heard Rapunzel was taken off the Disney Princess line? Frankly, I don't care at all about any Disney Princesses, but still, the NERVE of some people! Rapunzel DESERVED to be up there!**

**But yeah, anyway...**

**This is the final chapter. Hope you enjoy it!**

**Again, I'm very sorry about what I did in the last chapter.**

**Oh, and also, the bloopers are a no-go...sorry...I put them up but they were just so random and out of place that I was like, NO. Hope that doesn't make you guys too upset.**

**As for what I'm doing now that I'm finally finished, well, check out my profile! My next project is one of those 100-word one-shot challenges for...ENCHANTED! YAY! (Tangled was already taken...boo hoo)**

**Hey! Have you voted on my poll yet? I'm probably going to take it down at the end of this month, so hurry hurry hurry!**

**Thanks a bunch for reading!**

***Flynn Hugs***

***Rapunzel Hugs***

***Pascal Hugs***

***Maximus Hugs***

***Pub Thug Hugs***

***Frying Pan!***

**Hehehe...**

**I don't own Tangled, but you should see how March 29th is marked on my calendar...**

* * *

I kissed him, even as I felt the rise and fall of his chest begin to grow slow and shallow.

I kissed him, even as his heartbeat under my hand began to falter until it was barely noticeable.

I kissed him, even as I felt that incredible man go limp in my arms…

…Forever.

When my lips left his, tears were already blurring my vision. I knew he was gone, but I just didn't want to believe it. I couldn't believe it…I just couldn't…

I stared, misty-eyed, at my beloved Eugene. His eyes were closed, and his mouth just ever so slightly open. He could have been asleep…if it wasn't for his pale, pale face and the blood-red stain soaking the bottom of his shirt and vest. I stroked his face, ever so softly, not wanting to face the truth. This couldn't be possible…no…just, no...But it was.

Eugene Fitzherbert was gone.

"Gone…" I breathed, barely able to speak. "Gone…" Suddenly, the realization hit me so hard, I couldn't breathe. All the tears left inside me completely spilled out, and I threw myself on top of Eugene, sobbing uncontrollably. "Gone…he's _gone_!"

The scene, which, moments ago, had been pure chaos, was now deathly silent. I could feel all eyes on me…on Eugene…on the place where my mother had been standing, just minutes ago…I could sense everyone staring in disbelief. But I didn't care. My only focus was now on everything that I had lost in just a matter of seconds…my hair, my Mother, my Eugene…

_My_ Eugene.

He was _mine_. He was _my_ Eugene. _My_ best friend. _My _truelove. _My _Eugene.

Mother had said the world was a _horrible_, _terrible_ place, and I had discovered that what she had said hadn't been completely true. After all, outside the tower, I had discovered so many wonderful things…The Kingdom, the bookstore, heck, I had found out I was the _lost princess of Corona_! But all of that didn't matter anymore…not without Eugene. Losing him…that was what made the world as dreadful as Mother said it was. In that tower, I had never been exposed to death…loss…a love like this, so tragically ripped away from me…

"Why?" I sobbed, clutching onto my love's vest, wishing more than anything that he would open those gorgeous amber eyes once again. "Why, Eugene…Why did you leave me? Please…please come back!"

I cried even harder, knowing no matter what I said, or what I did, he was never coming back. There were some things you just couldn't change.

"Out of my—Out of my way!" I heard the King's voice break through the silence, and a gasp—I assumed it to be the Queen's—came from the crowd. I barely noticed. I was holding Eugene, wrapping my arms around him, never, _ever_ wanting to let him go. I kissed him lightly on the cheek, stunned by how cold he already felt.

"I love you…" I whispered, my voice trembling. "I love you _so_ much, Eugene Fitzherbert…and I always will…"

I just hoped that he had known that.

"Rapunzel," the Queen's soft voice came from behind me, and I heard her gasp again. "Oh…oh, my goodness…"

"He's gone…" my whole body shook with sobs. I shut my eyes tight, gripping onto Eugene with everything I had inside me. "Eugene…he's gone! He's not…coming back…"

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up, making out the blurred image of the King through my tearstained eyes.

"I'm so sorry…" he apologized, looking more solemn than I had ever seen him before. "I just…don't know what to say…"

I knew exactly what he meant. I mean, the King had just found out I was his _daughter_…a moment he had no doubt dreamed of for eighteen years. He probably pictured this as being the greatest moment of his life...full of hugs and smiles and soaring hearts, knowing that his baby girl was finally home. I bet he never imagined it, instead, like this…with tears of joy being replaced by tears of sorrow, and in his daughter's arms, a whole new life…lost.

"Me, neither," I admitted. "I just…" I turned back to Eugene and ran my fingers through his hair. "Eugene…Eugene…_my_ Eugene…" I was overcome with sobs once again, and lay my face against his, my hot tears hitting his cold skin against my cheek. "Eugene…I need you…Please come back to me!"

"My dear…" the Queen knelt down next to me and gently rubbed my back. I couldn't even thank her through my tears, I was drowning in my emotion. Eugene…this just couldn't be…He couldn't be gone! I'd…I'd _die_ without him! I just felt so empty…

"No…" I whispered, and then my sobs turned into a quiet chant. "No…no, no, no, no, no, no, no…"

"Rapunzel…" the Queen's soothing voice whispered in my ear. I paid no heed, completely caught up in my lifeless love.

"I love you, Eugene…I love you, and I need you, and...I'll never, _ever_ forget you…I _promise_…"

I held him as tight as I could, longing to feel his strong arms return my embrace. But I knew that wasn't going to happen…ever again. But one thing was for sure. There was no way I was ever going to forget him. _How_ could I forget him? He was so…amazing. It was hard to believe that it had only been about three days since I had met him; since I had saved him from my mother back in the tower. I wondered what would have happened…if I had remained silent, and let Mother do what she said had to be done…If he had died that day, and life had gone on. Then, I never would have felt this hurt…things wouldn't be like this…

But then again, I never would have shared those special moments with him…That heartfelt talk we had around the campfire, those stories he read to me in the bookstore, and that beautiful moment where I was first wrapped up in his warm embrace the night before his execution was scheduled. The line from that book in my tower once again popped into my mind.

"_Better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all."_

I could never experience those moments again, but I had those memories. I had those beautiful hours with him captured in my mind, and I would never forget them, _ever._ I would never forget his wonderful touch, or his incredible smile, or that beautiful, _beautiful_ kiss…He loved me, and I loved him.

I would never, _ever_ forget Eugene Fitzherbert.

I looked up gratefully at the King and Queen, who were trying their best to give me silent comfort through all my grief. I was thankful for everything, though angst still threatened to consume me. Before I knew what I was doing, I propelled myself into their arms, allowing them to wrap their arms around me and run their fingers through my now-short hair. They whispered words of comfort, wiped away my tears, and every now and again, would kiss me on the forehead. Though it didn't stop the pain, I was appreciative of everything they were doing for me. Then, I realized…these were my _parents_. They weren't just trying to console a random stranger…they were trying to console their _daughter_, who had just lost practically everything in a matter of seconds.

"We're _so_ sorry," the Queen—my _true_ mother—whispered, giving me another kiss through my hair. "We're so glad to have you back, but…Oh, Rapunzel…we're just so sorry…"

I swallowed and looked up at her through my tears.

"Thank you…Mom."

She gasped at the sound of what I said, and I could see tears welling up in her eyes once again. She wrapped her arms even tighter around me, and I let my own tears fall, overcome with emotion. I was home. The tower was not my home…this was. I was a princess—royalty—and here I was where I truly belonged. I had a father, and a true mother…one who truly loved me for who I was, not what I had. And another thing—this castle was now where I lived. This beautiful, magnificent structure I had longed simply just to _see_…it was my _home_ now.

But all that paled in comparison to how much I had just lost. My mother was gone, and though she wasn't my true mother, I still felt a sensation of loss for her, seeing as she took care of me for practically my whole life. Even though her love had not been completely for _me_, specifically, I did think she did have _some_ love for me, and, to be honest, I had loved her back. And Eugene…_my_ Eugene…he was gone forever, too. He had risked everything—even death—just to make sure I was happy. And then, he truly loved me. Oh, gosh, I just couldn't thank him enough for that…

I took a deep breath and left my newfound parents' embrace, and then, one last time, went over to where Eugene lay and wrapped my arms around his neck, leaving a soft kiss on his forehead.

"I love you…"

The tears flowed from my eyes once again, knowing that now, this was really goodbye. Eventually, I would have to leave him, and who knows what would happen next. The whole Kingdom would learn about my return, and I'd be swept up in so much…After all…I was the lost princess.

I was the lost princess…

…but Eugene was my lost love.

O-O-O-O-O

It's been exactly one year since that day.

One year since my life completely changed forever.

One year since I lost the love of my life.

One year since I watched Eugene Fitzherbert close those beautiful brown eyes…forever.

The trip has been anything but easy.

For weeks after Eugene's death, I had terrible, _terrible_ nightmares; His death, replaying over and over in my mind…And for days, I would wake up, screaming, and then I would have to snap back into reality…have to live with the fact that my Eugene…was really gone.

But as time passed, some dreams were welcome. Every now and again, he would reappear in my sleep, and I would have just a few more extraordinary moments with my one true love. He would hold me close, and every second would be wonderful…to the point where I would come to loathe waking up. Though I knew it was only a fantasy, those dreams…those memories…everything about Eugene…kept me going.

Tonight, we'll be releasing lanterns into the sky to celebrate the anniversary of my return. But I feel like those lanterns aren't meant for me…instead, they're for Eugene…my lost love…A reminder of all he did for me, and a sign showing that I kept my promise. I will never, _ever_ forget him.

There isn't a day that goes by where he doesn't come up in my mind, somehow. His charming smile, his witty sense of humor, his strong arms, wrapped around me…those memories seem to resurface every day, and now, I know for a fact that even if I wanted to, there is no way possible that I could ever break my promise.

I've just returned from visiting Eugene, actually. His grave, more specifically. My father, the King, showed no hesitation in burying him in the royal cemetery. Eugene…he was a hero. He was _my_ hero. My eyes fill with tears—something that hasn't happened in a while—and I plop down on my bed, my head in my hands. My gaze falls on the scar on my hand from that fateful day...I had thrown that dagger just so Gothel wouldn't hurt anyone else...and yet, Eugene had used it to save my life. I trace the scar with my other hand. It will probably always be there...but it's _nothing_ compared to the scar Eugene left on my heart when he died.

"Oh, Eugene…" I sigh. "I've missed you so much…"

Pascal scurries up onto my shoulder and gives my hand a soft pat. I somehow smile at him through my tears. He knows how much pain I've gone through in the past year.

My eyes fall upon the walls of my castle room. I've tried to make it as much like the tower as possible, and colorful paintings line nearly every section of the wall. My room is a lot bigger than the tower, so my paintings have been bigger, bolder and brighter. However, as I scan the wall, there's one thing I notice: Amongst all the colors and designs, there's one huge spot that's bare. I guess I might have missed that one area, on accident. I figure eventually it'll get filled. When it comes to my paintings, I'm never short of inspiration.

Inspiration…

I rise to my feet, walking over to the wall. I run my hand down the cold, bare area. Inspiration is here. It's already flooding my mind. I can already see the colors blending, filling the void, brushstroke after brushstroke turning into a beautiful image…and I have to create it.

I _have_ to paint.

I run to the other side of the room and drag over every bucket of paint I can carry, and then run back and grab the rest. This painting is going to be so extravagant…so extraordinary…everyone will finally see how I feel.

I stare at the blank space once again, filling it with the image occupying my mind. It's Eugene and me…how things _should_ be…the life I dreamt we would have…together…forever…

I wrap Eugene around all of my thoughts, and every memory I have of him floods my mind. I can see it all: he smiles at me…he strokes my hair…he holds me tight, his arms encircling me, never, _ever_ letting me go.

I think of all we could have become, and all that we could have been had we remained together. But I'm so thankful for the memories…that I can simply savor these moments right here, right now. I lay a hand over my heart, where he touched it one year ago. What he had said was the _truth_. He will _never_ leave. He'll always be right here…in my heart…for all eternity.

"I love you, Eugene…" I whisper, holding back tears as I feel him all around me. He feels closer than ever, now…as if he's holding me close…I can almost hear him whisper in my ear, "I love you, too…"

I can still feel his strong arms around me as I pick up the brush and begin to paint.

* * *

**There you have it.**

**I hope the ending wasn't too bad...yes, I know it was sad.**

**Thanks anyway for reading! (And not killing me for what I wrote in the process)**

**Love u guys!**

**-Sheep1215**


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